dianne harris

On this website you will find a large selection of Dianne Harris' work including collaborations with other artists, musicians, and video editors.

Dianne Harris aspires to placing humans into direct contact with interactive environments to develop and increase an awareness into unseen realms of existence that stem from scientific, philosophical, mythological and psychic origin.

Escaping from a mundane and conventional reality, Dianne Harris' work throughout captivates surreal environments. In her 'early photographs' through the use of installation, slide projection and human beings themselves, she documents places combined from the past, present and future to bring an altered state of reality.

The 'Deities on Earth' series, again document frozen moments of time in which modern day Deities have appeared for her to capture on film. All Dianne's photographs have been shot in one exposure, there is no post production or manipulation. Dianne's constant theme of heightening and illuminating the human being continues to this day.

The Robot sculptures, 8 to date, are equipped with devices and forms that Dianne believes will be implemented by and into humans as part of an intensifying technological revolution... Dianne's work mimics and suggests future developments within human engineering, such as tapping into forming Stem cells to grow a human organ, sight using video-vision and inbuilt sensor devices.

The 'Androidgynous Dream' installation shown at Gallerie Mai Ollivier, Paris and at Now'97 Nottingham, has an illuminated x-rayed android hanging from the ceiling, when in contact with a human its video vision eye scans the surrounding space and in anticipation its 10 arms begin to move. The 10 arms are likened to an Indian God, each pair representing a new incarnation of life. (See robotic work).

'Cyberwoman with burning vision' (Collaboration with Christian Ristow, San Francisco '95) takes on a different approach, beckoning the viewer forward with a sweeping robotic arm, on approach her eyes burst into propane fuelled jets of fire - "if you get too close you could get burnt!"... Dianne's work questions an uncompromising position that humankind is finding itself in at the dawn of a robotic revolution. (See robotic work).

Dianne's interactive work is governed by the viewers, they play a large part in the connection with the work, it is them that bring the work to life, and the work that brings them to life.

'Natural Phenomena' an intricate robotic installation deals with the essence of ether, vibration and light. Viewers come into direct contact with an entity made of thousands of fibre optic strands. The movement and interaction with light promotes an awareness of another realm of existence where energy, particles of light and indivisibility all play a large part. A portal of celestial space. (See Natural Phenomena).

Dianne Harris (Date of Birth 1969)

Dianne Harris specialised in producing, constructing and photographing environments when she graduated from St Martin's School of Art in 1991. Mastering the art of projection within photography and film, she exhibited her 2-Dimensional installations as giant photographs and lightboxes in London, Luxembourg and Paris 1991-1996. (See Early photographic installations & Deities on Earth). She also became the co-founder of Frieze magazine in 1991.

During 1994-95 Dianne worked intensely within the film industry on Mary Shelly's 'Frankenstein' (Shepperton Studios) and 'Mary Reiley' (Pinewood Studios), Special Effects Crew. She was commissioned by Peter Young, set designer of the film 'Judge Dredd' (Shepperton Studios) to build her first electric cyborg which appeared in the film (see robotic work). Following on from that she built two more electric cyborgs for the film 'Hackers' (Cyberdelia set). She has also exhibited her lightboxes as futuristic paintings in the films: Judge Dredd, Hackers and 101 Dalmations.

Dianne's Cyborg sculptures were shown in collaboration with Hex Media and Coldcut at 'Zone', in the Ministry of Sound, London and at the Wired Magazine British launch, Leisure Lounge, London '95. In the same year, San Francisco bound, Dianne was introduced to a thriving community of Robotics Artists and was commissioned by 'Blasthaus' a Technology/art gallery to collaborate with Christian Ristow (Former member of 'Survival Research Laboratories'). Christian and Dianne built three sculptures together, 'Cyberwoman with Burning Vision', 'She can see you see her holding her brain' and 'Cyberbaby' (See robotic work). These were exhibited at 'Blasthaus', 'Digitalis' (a forerunner in multi-media events), the 'Anon Salon' and at the Robot Wars after party. Cyber woman with Burning Vision alias "La Femme au Regard Enflammé" has been seen by thousands at events and galleries in San Francisco, London, Paris, Spain and Morocco since 1995 and was seen within a 'Robots' feature in National Geographic July '97 holding court in Christian's workshop.

On arrival back to the U.K, Dianne was commissioned to build 'Usheretta' a welcoming android for the Glasgow Gallery of Modern Art's 'Fire Gallery', an interactives gallery space 1997 (see robotic work).

Dianne also worked on the Generator (HEX) exhibit in the same Interactives Gallery in collaboration with Robert Pepperell (see interactive installations).

Dianne was commissioned by Hex to design the console for Jam at the Barbican 1996, London and five more for RAMJAM at Now'97 Nottingham, and RAMJAM2 at Nerve, I.C.A London '99. Dianne was involved with the organisation and curation of the three day sensorial art and music event, she was co-director. (See interactive installations).

1997 brought about the 'Androidgynous Dream' Installation which was shown at Gallerie Mai Ollivier, Paris and again later at Now'97 Nottingham (see robotic work).

Working closely in '98 with video artists 'Hexstatic' and musicians, John Lusk and Nick Moore, Dianne was commissioned by the London Aquarium to create a permanent sound and video installation. (see London Aquarium).

‘STEM’ a collaborative partnership was formed in 1999 between Dianne Harris and Robert Pepperell, director of the digital Art group ‘HEX’

1999. The first interactive digital sandwich boards were commissioned for the Millennium Dome's Play Zone by STEM. (See Interactive installations).

LAND, designers of the Play Zone also commissioned three interactive Musical Pods, where participants by jamming with buttons could create their own melodies of sampled music. (See interactive installations - STEM).

2000 The new Millennium began with a robotics workshop residency in conjunction with American robotic artist, Chico McMurtrie in Nottingham where Dianne Harris worked with young people to build remote controlled and video vision robots, a commission for N(clusions) Ntech 2000.

Natural Phenomena 2000-2001
This installation synthesises the elements of nature, theories of relativity and quantum physics with psychic awareness and vibrating frequency. The piece was commissioned by private sponsors and the Now2000 festival. Nottingham. (See Natural Phenomena video).

GERMANY 2002
2 re-modified Musical pods (originally commissioned for the Millennium Dome) toured to 4 open day events c/o British Council. Berlin, Munich, Duesseldorf & Leipzig. 2002 (See video)

THE LUMINARIES GALLERY 2003 -2004
In 2003 Workspace Group Plc sponsored Dianne Harris one of their units in the thriving atrium of Westbourne Studios London W10. This was the birth place of the LUMINARIES kinetic and interactive gallery. The Luminaries provided a venue and platform to show-case many of Dianne's past and recent pieces, it also gave many other artists working within the realms of kinetic, electronic, time-based and multi-disciplinary art an environment for which to exhibit works that were/are specifically dedicated to the evolution of the human spirit through technology. Believing wholly in the inventive and innovative, the gallery provided an accessible platform for like minded thinkers and thought provoking visionaries.
Dianne Harris and co-curator Flora Fairbairn held 3 successful shows LAUNCH SHOW, FREQUENCY, & TIMEWARP

The Luminaries gallery is the working model for the new KINETICA MUSEUM scheduled to open in the Old Spitalfields Market. London E1 -September 2006.
KINETICA MUSEUM LTD was founded by Dianne Harris and Tony Langford in 2004. The non-for-profit company was set up specifically to run the Kinetica Museum - dedicated to kinetic and electronic art.

Scope Art Fair
Flora Fairbairn, London director of the Scope Art Fair 2004 commissioned Dianne Harris to create an installation for the 4 day fair at Melia White Hotel, Regents Park. London 2004. Each gallery was given a hotel room to exhibit in, approximately 60 galleries from around the globe participated. Dianne Harris' site specific audio/visual installation 'GHOSTS' - 'Channelled accumulated memory locked within a hotel room'. Dianne collaborated with musician and producer Garry Cobain who created the soundscape for the piece.
SEE REVIEW

Future Face - Science Museum London 2004
5 of Dianne Harris' illuminated 'Energy Heads' were selected for the 'Future Face' exhibition curated by Professor Sandra Kemp at the Science Museum, London 2004. In 2005/06 the entire show was reassembled and taken to the Taipai National Museum of Science - Taiwan - Images coming soon.....
The' Head of the Blue Chip' was also featured in the new show in Taipai.....images coming soon.

2004- 05 brought about a variety of film and photography commissions including 2 short film/photographic documentaries ( CAUKUS ROADSHOW and the SECRET GARDEN) as well as numerous photographic shoots for bands and musicians such as, FSOL - AMORPHOUS ANDROGYNOUS, ARCHIVE and MIKE ROSENBERG. Many thanks to Garry Cobain for his expertise in computer compositing & digital manipulation.

In 2005 music producers COLDCUT commissioned Dianne Harris to create a 4 minute animation for their track 'Colours the Soul' as part of their new Album/DVD due for release Spring 2006. Many thanks to Garry Cobain, Stuart Warren-Hill, Fabrizio Carrera and Vez for production, editing and management assistance.

At the end of 2005 Dianne joined the new, psychedelic folk, rocktronic band - 'Amorphous Androgynous' on a short tour in Australia - As stage designer she created a video installation & animations to accompany their chasmic sound and visual show. She also documented the band during their 'Rock and Roll' adventures, dealing with the highs and lows on the road!.... short film coming soon....

KINETICA - 2006
Kinetica is set to become London’s first permanent exhibition space dedicated to bringing kinetic, electronic and technological art to the public arena. There is no such gallery or museum in London dedicated to show-casing these significant artforms. Kinetica aims to fulfil this cultural deficit. As Artistic Director of Kinetica Dianne Harris will be instrumental in sourcing and curating the revolving collection as well as inviting key workshop leaders to run a series of cultural events, performances, workshops & seminars in the 7200 sq ft new venue at Spitalfields.

To see the type of work selected for Kinetica click HERE
To find out more about the team running Kinetica click HERE
For more info about the concepts behind Kinetica click HERE
For more info on Kinetica's events and cultural programme click HERE

For more info please contact dianne@kinetica-museum.org