Matthew Dalziel (born 1957) and Louise Scullion (born 1966), known professionally as Dalziel + Scullion, are a Scottish artist duo. Dalziel and Scullion have worked in collaboration since 1993. Their studio creates artworks in photography, video, sound and sculpture that explore new artistic languages surrounding the subject of ecology.
Biography
Matthew Dalziel was born in Irvine, Scotland in 1957. He studied sculpture at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and graduated in 1988, continuing on to study documentary photography on the then singular course of its type in the UK established by Magnum photographer David Hurn at Newport College of Further Education in Newport. Matthew completed his education with a Post Graduate diploma jointly in Fine Art Photography and Sculpture at Glasgow School of Art and was awarded a merit of high distinction in both subjects. He has exhibited in numerous shows including the 1990 British Art Show and was a founding member of the Glasgow artist group Image & Installation; he served on various Scottish Arts Council Visual Arts Awards Panels and was on the board of directors for Photofeis, International Festival of Photography.
Louise Scullion was born in Helensburgh, Scotland in 1966. She studied Fine Art at Glasgow School of Art in the Environmental Art Department, graduating in 1988 with first class honours. She then exhibited in numerous shows including the 1990 British Art Show; she has served on various boards and committees including the board of directors of the CCA Glasgow, The Scottish Arts Council Visual Arts Awards Panel and The Creative Scotland award panel.
In 1993 Matthew Dalziel and Louise Scullion began a collaborative practice, since then Dalziel + Scullion have produced a significant body of work that has been shown widely nationally and internationally including the Venice Biennale; Young British Art in Rome; The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh; The Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Melbourne; Madison Square Park, New York; The National Maritime Museum, London and at The Meguro Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo. Their practice is currently based within the University of Dundee where they also teach in the School of Fine Art.
Artwork
In the conventions of art history, the body is something to look at: nudes; figures in the landscape; portraiture. Dalziel + Scullion say something else – the human body is something to look with.
Film & video
Endlessly – 1997 – Video Installation comprising two large architecturally influenced constructions with back projected video. The Pressure of Spring – 1999 – A video work that looks at a series of young people who lives are at transitional phases: between school and work place, between teenage and adulthood. With sound by Howie B. Another Place – 2000 – A video work consisting of a series of location-based portraits filmed in the north east of Scotland in the village of St. Combs. Water Falls Down – 2002 – Video work constructed in three parts, with sound by Geir Jenssen. In the Open Sea – 2002 – The piece presents aspects of the wilder habitats we inhabit and how we access and control these spaces. Raptor – 2002 – A video piece where a bird of prey inhabits the interior of a contemporary office space. Genus – 2003 – A large scale 7 screen combined video projection. Genus was the culmination of Dalziel + Scullions 2-year Fellowship with the National Media Museum, during which hundreds of images from the museums archive were collected to create this work. Earthdom – 2005 – A twin-screen video work that looks at the expansive landscape of the Fenlands and its liquid topography. One Minute – 2005 – This work consisted of a series of 15 one-minute studies of cloud formations filmed over specific geographic locations within Scotland, presented alongside the premier of musician and composer Craig Armstrong's symphonic work. Some Distance from the Sun – 2006 – An evolution of plant types, observing the major 'steps' that have taken place as plants evolved out of water to land, with sound by Mark Vernon. The Earth Turned to bring Us Closer – 2006 – A three screen video installation shows over 240 video portraits shot in the city of Glasgow and is accompanied Craig Armstrong's composition Memory Takes My Hand. Source – 2007 – In this video work, a journey within a landscape is experienced through the senses of a young boy; his eyes and ears become portals that sights and sound flow through.