Personal statement

Keith is a Research Professor and a first and third year tutor on the Fine Art degree course. 

He has been awarded the Jerwood Open Forest Commission (2017) and was included in the Material Environments exhibition at The Tetley, Leeds (2018).

Since 2002 Keith has been involved in a series of process-based live public experiments that investigate the direct physical transformation of clay from a raw state, utilising industrial and domestic electrical systems. The use of portable household appliances has enabled live firings to take place in alternative venues such as a living room, science laboratory, café and not-for-profit artist run spaces in Brighton and London.

In addition, large-scale works have been realised for public galleries and Museums including the V&A, Jerwood Space, Camden Arts Centre and mima, Middlesbrough which take on the given space to produce site-specific time-based works.

Academic qualifications

  • MA, Ceramics and Glass - Royal College of Art.

Citations

  • Included in Vitamin C: New Perspectives in Contemporary Art, Clay and Ceramics, Phaidon Press (October 2017), with accompanying text by Ben Borthwick
  • Included in Publication Things of Beauty Growing: British Studio Pottery, Yale University Press (September 2017)
  • Included in Contemporary British Ceramics and the Influence of Sculpture: Monuments, Multiples, Destruction and Display, Routledge Advances in Art and Visual Studies (December 2017), by Laura Gray.

Research and academic outputs

Go to ResearchSPAce

Keith Harrison in conversation and performative event
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Harrison, K and Crow, D (2019) Keith Harrison in conversation and performative event. In: Art Events, 12 December 2019, God's House Tower, Southampton, UK.

Keith Harrison & LOW PROFILE
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Harrison, K (2019) Keith Harrison & LOW PROFILE. In: Artists Talks, 9 October 2019, Harris Museum, Art Gallery and Library, Preston, UK.

Artist talk
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Harrison, K (2018) Artist talk. In: Accelerator Artist Talks Programme, New Art West Midlands, 25 April 2018, The Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry, UK.

Public acts: ceramics as performance art
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Harrison, K (2018) Public acts: ceramics as performance art. In: Claytalks, part of Ceramic Art London, 23 - 25 March 2018, Central Saint Martins, London, UK.

Keith Harrison
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Harrison, K (2017) Keith Harrison. In: RCA Arts & Humanities Talks, 15 November 2017, Royal College of Art, London, UK.

Interactive & performative ceramics in the public realm
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Harrison, K (2017) Interactive & performative ceramics in the public realm. In: Ceramic Values: Can Ceramics make a difference? Ceramics and its Dimensions Congress, 5 -6 October 2017, Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent, UK.

Keith Harrison: artist talk
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Harrison, K (2016) Keith Harrison: artist talk. In: UWE/Art in the City Talks, 16 November 2016, Arnolfini, Bristol, UK.

Magz Hall and Keith Harrison in conversation with Helen Pheby
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Hall, M, Harrison, K and Pheby, H (2016) Magz Hall and Keith Harrison in conversation with Helen Pheby. In: Jerwood Open Forest, 21 November 2016, Jerwood Space, London, UK.

Provocation
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Harrison, K (2016) Provocation. In: Museums, Artists, Audiences: New Expressions, 11 October 2016, The Horniman Museum, London, UK.

Keith Harrison - Mute
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Harrison, K (2015) Keith Harrison - Mute. In: Reflecting on Fragile?, 30 September 2015, National Museum Cardiff, Wales, UK.

Secondary modernism
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Harrison, K (2015) Secondary modernism. In: Making Futures IV: International Research Conference, 24-25 September 2015, Plymouth College of Art, Plymouth, UK.

Heavy Rock
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Harrison, K (2015) Heavy Rock. In: Creative Risk Taking: Commissioning One-Off, Outdoor Public Events, 22 July 2015, Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery and Karst, Plymouth, UK.

Artist talk: Keith Harrison
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Harrison, K (2015) Artist talk: Keith Harrison. In: Plymouth History Festival, 12 May 2015, Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery, Plymouth, UK.

Keith Harrison: Tombstone (lets get over this)
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Harrison, K (2015) Keith Harrison: Tombstone (lets get over this). In: CADRE lecture series 2014/5, 16 February 2015, University of Wolverhampton, UK.

Artist talk with Keith Harrison
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Harrison, K (2014) Artist talk with Keith Harrison. In: Visual Arts Visiting Artist Lecture Series, 28 October 2014, Camosun College, Victoria, Canada.

On subversive ceramics: Keith Harrison in conversation
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Harrison, K (2014) On subversive ceramics: Keith Harrison in conversation. In: Futurkammer, 7 - 15 June 2014, The Holburne Museum, Bath.

Bustleholme: site and sound
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Harrison, K (2014) Bustleholme: site and sound. In: SITE: Situating Ceramics Colloquium (CARCuos), 9 May 2015, Ceramic Arts Research Centre, University of Sunderland, UK.

Keith Harrison: secondary modernism and disruption
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Harrison, K (2014) Keith Harrison: secondary modernism and disruption. In: Sheridan Ceramics Presents..., 13 March 2014, Sheridan College, Ontario, Canada.

A morning with Keith Harrison
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Harrison, K (2014) A morning with Keith Harrison. In: CAA (Cranbrook Academy of Art) Lecture, 10 March 2014, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Michigan, USA.

Keith Harrison: artist presentation
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Harrison, K (2014) Keith Harrison: artist presentation. In: Intervention: Artists Working in Museum and Heritage Settings, 29 January 2014, M Shed, Bristol, UK.

Jerwood Open Forest Commission: Joyride (2017) [REF2021 collection]
artefact

Harrison, K (2021) Jerwood Open Forest Commission: Joyride (2017) [REF2021 collection].

New expressions 3: heavy rock|Plymouth Sound (2015-2016) [REF2021 collection]
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Harrison, K (2021) New expressions 3: heavy rock|Plymouth Sound (2015-2016) [REF2021 collection].

Material soundsystems (2015-2020) [REF2021 collection]
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Harrison, K (2021) Material soundsystems (2015-2020) [REF2021 collection].

Social experiments (2017, 2018) [REF2021 collection]
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Harrison, K (2021) Social experiments (2017, 2018) [REF2021 collection].

Public acts (2015-2019) [REF2021 collection]
artefact

Harrison, K (2021) Public acts (2015-2019) [REF2021 collection].

Resistor (2001)
exhibition

Harrison, K (2022) Resistor (2001). In: A Matter of Life and Death, Thomas Dane Gallery, Naples, Italy, 29 March – 28 May 2022.

Bloom
exhibition

Harrison, K (2019) Bloom. God’s House Tower, Southampton, UK, 16 November 2019 – 16 January 2020.

Conductor | 8 movements
exhibition

Harrison, K (2019) Conductor | 8 movements. In: Beautiful and Brutal: 50 years in the life of Preston Bus Station, Harris Museum, Art Gallery and Library, Preston, UK, 21 September – 24 November 2019.

'Bad shit' - part of the experiments workshop
exhibition

Harrison, K (2018) 'Bad shit' - part of the experiments workshop. In: The Tetley Weekender, The Tetley, Leeds, UK, 19 - 20 May 2018.

Bad shit
exhibition

Harrison, K (2018) Bad shit. In: Material Environments, The Tetley, Leeds, UK, 4 May - 8 July 2018.

Cheon Pyo Lee + Keith Harrison
exhibition

Pyo Lee, C and Harrison, K (2018) Cheon Pyo Lee + Keith Harrison. Stereo Exchange, Copenhagen, Denmark, 30 March - 12 May 2018.

Knowledge is power: 6 towns
exhibition

Harrison, K (2017) Knowledge is power: 6 towns. In: British Ceramics Biennial, Stoke-on-Trent Central Library, Stoke-on-Trent, UK, September - November 2017.

Joyride
exhibition

Harrison, K (2016) Joyride. In: Jerwood Open Forest, Jerwood Space, London, UK, 2 November - 11 December 2016.

The Greater Taipei Biennial of Contemporary Arts: Dé-coïncidence [group exhibition]
exhibition

Harrison, K (2016) The Greater Taipei Biennial of Contemporary Arts: Dé-coïncidence [group exhibition]. National Taiwan University of Art, New Taipei, Taiwan, 7 November 2016 - 14 January 2017.

Heavy Rock | Mould
exhibition

Harrison, K (2016) Heavy Rock | Mould. In: Material Language: New Work in Clay, New Art Centre, Salisbury, UK, 14 May - 24 July 2016.

Tombstone (let’s get over this)
exhibition

Harrison, K (2015) Tombstone (let’s get over this). In: Acts of Making, touring exhibition/festival, February - September 2015.

Moon: a public demonstration
exhibition

Harrison, K (2015) Moon: a public demonstration. In: Super Woofer, Matt's Gallery, London, 1 August 2015.

Heavy rock | Plymouth Sound
exhibition

Harrison, K and Gregory, W (2015) Heavy rock | Plymouth Sound. Plymouth, UK, 22 June - 22 July 2015.

Mute
exhibition

Harrison, K (2015) Mute. In: Fragile?, National Museum, Cardiff, 18 April-4 October 2015.

Lucie Rie vs grindcore [2012]
exhibition

Harrison, K (2013) Lucie Rie vs grindcore [2012]. In: Conversations with Lucie Rie, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, 17 October 2013 - 9 March 2014.

Lucie Rie vs grindcore [2012]
exhibition

Harrison, K (2013) Lucie Rie vs grindcore [2012]. In: Sound Matters: Exploring Sound Through Forms, touring exhibition, 1 June 2013 - 24 May 2014. ISBN 9781903713372

Blanks in between
exhibition

Harrison, K (2013) Blanks in between. In: London Design Festival, Paper Tiger, London, 14 - 22 September 2013.

Disruption Series: installations and performances
exhibition

Harrison, K (2012) Disruption Series: installations and performances. Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK, October 2012 - March 2013.

Jerwood Makers Open: Farah Bandookwala, Emmanuel Boos, Heike Brachlow, Keith Harrison
exhibition

Bandookwala, F, Boos, E, Brachlow, H and Harrison, K (2011) Jerwood Makers Open: Farah Bandookwala, Emmanuel Boos, Heike Brachlow, Keith Harrison. In: Jerwood Makers Open, JVA at Jerwood Space, 13 July - 28 August 2011.

Float: a clay sound system
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Harrison, K (2011) Float: a clay sound system. In: Jerwood Makers Open, Jerwood Space, London, UK, 13 July - 28 August 2011.

Possibilities and losses: transitions in clay
exhibition

Harrison, K (2009) Possibilities and losses: transitions in clay. Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art (mima), 22 May 2009 - 16 August 2009. ISBN 9781903713204

Brother
exhibition

Harrison, K (2009) Brother. In: Possibilities and Losses: Transitions in Clay, Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art, Middlesbrough, UK, 22 May - 16 August 2009.

Superfluid
exhibition

Harrison, K (2008) Superfluid. Brighton, 2 February - 2 March 2008.

Sensory material
exhibition

Harrison, K (2006) Sensory material. Bonhams Auctioneers, London, September 2006.

Shibboleth
exhibition

Harrison, K and Robinson, N (2006) Shibboleth. Dilston Grove, 17 November - 9 December 2006. ISBN 9780955637001

Platosrotos - 6 UK and Spanish Artists
exhibition

Harrison, K (2005) Platosrotos - 6 UK and Spanish Artists. Posada del Potro, Cordoba, Spain.

Ceramic contemporaries 4
exhibition

Harrison, K, Gibson, J and Lees, N (2002) Ceramic contemporaries 4. Royal College of Art, London; Harley Gallery; Wrexham Art Gallery; Collins Gallery; Aberystwyth Arts Centre, 2002 - 2003. ISBN 0952749025

Conductor | 8 movements
performance

Harrison, K (2019) Conductor | 8 movements. Preston Bus Station, Preston, UK, 14 July 2019.

Ecstatic Material
performance

Dillon, B and Harrison, K (2019) Ecstatic Material. Touring performance, February 2019.

Joyride: a Jerwood Open Forest Commission
performance

Harrison, K (2017) Joyride: a Jerwood Open Forest Commission. Cannock Chase Forest, Cannock, UK, 30 September 2017.

Bustleholme: a performance with Keith Harrison and Napalm Death
performance

Harrison, K (2013) Bustleholme: a performance with Keith Harrison and Napalm Death. De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill-on-Sea, UK, 29 November 2013.

Moon: a public demonstration
performance

Harrison, K (2013) Moon: a public demonstration. V&A Hochauser Auditorium, London, UK, 21 April 2013.

Blue Monday/white Label
performance

Harrison, K (2010) Blue Monday/white Label. Bergen Kunsthall, 19 October 2010.

Glittering Ground
performance

Harrison, K (2007) Glittering Ground. "20 Whittington Street" Commission for Glittering Ground, Camden Arts Centre..

Last Supper' and 'M25 London Orbital' Invited Commissions
performance

Harrison, K (2006) Last Supper' and 'M25 London Orbital' Invited Commissions. Victoria and Albert Museum, London..

Gasworks/Arts Council International Artists Fellowship
performance

Harrison, K (2003) Gasworks/Arts Council International Artists Fellowship. KHOJ International Artists' AssociationS-17, Khirkee Extension,New Delhi - 110017 India.

requiem:c40
audio

Slater, C and Harrison, K (2017) requiem:c40.