Nicholas Lowe

Nicholas Lowe is an interdisciplinary artist, curator, author, and teacher. Working through drawing, photography, video, performance, and installation, his work is concerned with narrative traditions and material culture. His recent research, writing, and material studio work are focused on landscape and multi-modal panoramic and immersive media and their role in forming cultural landscapes. His work has grown through issue-based and community connected approaches where personal and social experiences intersect to platform content and meaning. Lowe serves as an executive board member of the International Panorama Council (IPC) Lucerne Switzerland, and is a founding Executive Editor for the IPC affiliated publication, Panoramic and Immersive Media Studies Yearbook (De Gruyter Oldenbourg; Berlin, Germany). He was born in England and received the Higher Diploma in Fine Art from the Slade School of Art, University College London, in 1989, and a Bachelor's degree in Combined Crafts, from Crew and Alsager College of Higher Education, in 1986. Lowe joined the faculty at SAIC in 2003 where he has developed and taught interdisciplinary studio classes in collections and archives including collections management, museum and curatorial studies.

2022: Maclean Collection, Map Research Fellowship.

2018: Konza Prairie Biological Research Station, Prairie Studies Institute and Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS.

2018: Kohler Arts/Industry Residency, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, WI.

2017: City of Rocks National Reserve, US National Park Service, Almo, ID.

2013: Museum of Jurassic Technology, Culver City, CA. Lifetime membership for service to the museum.

1991–1992: Artists’ Agency HIV and AIDS Photography Residency, artist (photographer) to work with people affected by HIV and AIDS in the North East of England.

1990–1991: Pepiniere Pour Jeunes Artists, Eurocreation Artists Pepiniere installation including photography. Ville de Bethune, Nord-pas-de-Calais, France and European Union Socrates Program.                                           

Books:

Panoramic and Immersive Media Studies Yearbook. Volume 1. Executive Editor/Author. (Double blind external reviewed contribution.) De Gruyter-Oldenbourg, Berlin. 2024.

Alice Shaddle: Fuller Circles. Dana Boutin, Nicholas Lowe, Lisa Stone. Green Lantern Press–Hyde Park Art Center. 2024. ISBN 978-0-9977756-9-3. 

The School Of The Art Institute of Chicago. Thomas C. Buechele and Nicholas C. Lowe. Arcadia Press, Campus History Series. 2017. ISBN 13 978-1-4671-2525-3. 

Roger Brown: Calif. U.S.A. Exhibition catalog. Essays by Christine Atha, Dana Boutin, Nicholas Lowe and Lisa Stone, including a Viewmaster set, DVD slideshows and five ‘focus’ booklets; Artworks 1; Artworks 2; Ceramics; Garden; and Project. SAIC, Chicago, IL. 2010. ISBN 978-0-9828798-0-1. 

Living Proof: Views of a World Living With HIV and AIDS. (Photographs and Writings) Nicholas Lowe and Michael McMillan. Artists’ Agency, Sunderland, UK. 1992. ISBN 0-9509797-2-4. 

Bethune: A Town Of Walls. Nicholas Lowe and Mark Dey. Nicholas Lowe, London, UK. 1991. ISBN 0-9517679-0-9.

Chapters (Edited Books):

"Goat Island" (Co-author Sarah Skaggs; series editor Mike Vanden Heuvel.) In: American Theatre Ensembles Volume 1. Post-1970: Theatre X, Mabou Mines, Goat Island, Lookingglass Theatre, Elevator Repair Service, and SITI Company. Methuen Drama/Bloomsbury Press, London, UK. ISBN: 9781350051546. 2020.

"Who is speaking? Who is being heard?" In: Art Education Discourses. Vol. 2. Leaf, Fruit and Seed. J Swift (Ed). Article Press, UCE, Birmingham, UK. ISBN 1-873352-87-5. 1999.              

"La Formation et la Vie Professionnelle de L'artiste / Education and the Professional Life of the Artist." In: Pépinière Européennes Pour Jeunes Artistes: Quatrième programme 1995—1997. Pépinière Européennes Pour Jeunes Artistes, Paris, France. 1997.

"Le Statut D'artiste en Europe / The Status Of The Artist In Europe." In: Emerging Artists In Europe Today. Dossiers Pedagogiques No. 8. Institute National De La Jeunesse Et De L'Education Populaire. Marly Le Roi, France. 1996.

"The Prison Audio Project." In: Art with People. Malcolm Dickson (Ed). Artists Handbooks Series. AN Publications, Sunderland, UK. ISBN 0-907730-23-x. 1995.

Articles (Periodicals, Journals & Magazines):

"Listening to the Aural Heritage of John Banvard’s Mississippi Panoramas: Reflections on Content and an Initial Speculative Re-Enactment." Panoramic and Immersive Media Studies Yearbook, Volume 1. (Double blind external reviewed contribution.) Proceedings from the 32nd IPC Conference. De Gruyter Oldenbourg. 2024.

"Panorama and Map Cartouche: Scroll-like Objects in Two and Three Dimensions." Peer reviewed article. International Panorama Council Journal, Volume 6. Proceedings from the 31st IPC Conference. 2022.

"Mechanical Theatres of Travel: Scroll Panoramas, Ribbon Maps, and Handheld Media." Peer reviewed article. International Panorama Council Journal, Volume 5. Proceedings from the 30th IPC Conference. 2021.

"Remote Viewing: Panorama Narrative, Landscape Experience and Heritage." Peer reviewed article. International Panorama Council Journal, Volume 4. Proceedings from the 29th IPC Conference. 2020.

"Discovering the Exhibition by Curating It: Performing Goat Island’s Archive." Special Section: Goat Island. Theatre, Yale School of Drama (Duke University Press), Volume 50, Issue 2. May 1, 2020. ISSN 0161-0775. 2019.

"Tracing What Remains: Looking for James Wilkins’s The Immense Moving Mirror of the Overland Trail." Peer reviewed article. International Panorama Council Journal, Volume 3. Proceedings from the 28th IPC Conference. ISSN 2571-7863. 2019.

"The Art of Museum Exhibitions." Book review. The Public Historian, University of California Press, Volume 38, Number 3. August 2016.

"Who needs a prosecution to make a point: The forgotten British Culture wars." Social Identities, Taylor and Frances, Vol. 13, No. 2. March 2007.

"Corruption Contraption: The Gidouille as a transubstantiating device." Pataphysica III. November 2006.

"Knowledge from the past towards a sustainable future?" Mailout: Arts Work with People. August–September. Chesterfield, UK. 2003.

"Snoozyland: Articulating disability in art spaces. or A question of sameness and 'running about'." Drawing Fire, The NAFAE Journal Vol. 2 No. 2. NAFAE, Bristol, UK. 1998.

"Beyond Education: Community Arts." Artists Newsletter, August, Sunderland, UK. 1994.

"Living Proof in Words and Pictures." Nicholas Lowe and Michael McMillan. Mailout: Arts Work with People. pp.20-21. October/November, UK. 1992.

2024: Overland Trail watercolor series—permanent collection acquisition. Twin Sisters (Looking South)—City of Rocks National Reserve, October 7, 2017 (#24); (Untitled) Twin Sisters (Looking North), October 2017 (#18); (Untitled) View North from Near Circle Creek House, October 2017 (#19). City of Rocks National Reserve, Almo, ID. United States National Park Service, and the California, Utah and Idaho Chapters of the Oregon and California Trail Association.

2024: Alice Shaddle: Fuller Circles. Curator with Lisa Stone. Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago, IL. March 23–July 28.

2023: Overland Trail watercolor series—permanent collection acquisition. The View from Cahokia, Illinois to St. Louis, September 13, 2017; Independence Rock and Devils Gate, Wyoming, 2017. Saint Louis Art Museum, St. Louis, MO.

2021: Art Along the Rivers. Curated by Melissa Wolf and Amy Torbert. Saint Louis Art Museum, St. Louis, MO. October 3, 2021–January 9, 2022. Overland Trail watercolor series: The View from Cahokia, Illinois to St. Louis, September 13, 2017; Independence Rock and Devils Gate, Wyoming, 2017. Six Vertical Landscapes series: Missouri: Little Tarkio Creek, 40°02’48.6”N 95°19’27.1”W; Nebraska: North Platte River, 41°43’47.6”N 103°19’26.2”W.

2021: Saint Louis Art Museum New Media Series. Curated by Hannah Klem. Single channel video installation. Saint Louis Art Museum. St. Louis, MO. August 20, 2021–January 9, 2022. Sixteen Frames: a moving mirror of the overland trail. Single channel video, 25.27 Mins. 2018.

2021: CA53776V2.Gallery. Other Places Art Fair. September 11–12. CA53776V2.Gallery. An exhibition space on the dashboard of a 2007 Ford Ranger. 300 block of W. Anapamu St. Santa Barbara, CA.

2020: Art In Place, CNL Projects and Terrain Exhibitions. Remote, site-based international exhibition. Six Vertical Landscapes series: Idaho: Almo Pluton, 42° 04’ 12” N 113° 42’ 45” W. May 20–August 23.

2019: Goat Island Archive: We Have Discovered the Performance by Making It. Curator. Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, IL.

2018: EXPO-Chicago, Kohler Arts/Industry. Curated by Beth Lipman. After James Wilkins—A Grand Moving Mirror of the Overland Trail (12 ceramic objects and three digital prints). September 27–30.

2018: Faculty Projects (Sabbatical Exhibition). Sullivan Galleries, SAIC, Chicago IL. Curated by Kate Zeller. After James Wilkins—A Grand Moving Mirror of the Overland Trail (12 ceramic objects and 16 plein air watercolor drawings). September 11–October 17.

2018: Ohklahomo: Lucky Star Edition, Chicago IL. Curated by Mark Jeffery and Lori Tally. (Badger) Animals Will Find You—Performance. (Edited video with live narrative text.) August 12.

2018: SideCar: A Better Tomorrowland, Hammond, IN. Curated by Paul Hopkin. Nicholas Lowe: After James Wilkins—A Grand Moving Mirror of the Overland Trail (14 ceramic objects and a digital print). Also including work by Benjamin Zellmer Bellas; Christa Donner; Jeffery Grauel; John Henly; Melissa Pokorny. Hammond, Indiana.

2014: Paul’s Not Gay, Pilsen, Chicago, IL. Baggage 1; baggage 2; backpack and multimedia assemblage.

2012: Faculty Projects (Sabbatical Exhibition). Sullivan Galleries, SAIC, Chicago, IL. Gardens Reconstructed and Landscapes Revisited.

2012: La Conchita Miniatures, Museum of Jurassic Technology, Culver City, CA. Half Spartan (interior); Half Spartan (exterior); Livingroom South East. An im-permanent installation in the Roger Brown Spartan Trailer.

2010: Roger Brown: Calif. U.S.A. Curator with Lisa Stone. Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago, IL.

2008: Xwingprojects/Creeping Toad (UK), Department Of Cultural Affairs/Millennium Park Chicago. Luna de Suenos: A Winter Lantern Festival.

2008: Xwing, Experimental Puppet Theatre, Domestic Spaces Tour, Chicago IL. Traditional Punch and Judy, and performances of texts by Jarry, Rachilde, Beckett.

2005: Master Nowhere’s Lost Carnival, Zhou B. Bronzeville, Chicago, IL. HOP/Xwing Site-Specific 19th Century Carnival, nightclub, Punch and Judy Professor, Ballad Singer and Tooth Puller.

2004: A Manifest Imposture or Guignol as Pataphysics. Links Hall, 3435 N. Sheffield, Chicago, IL. Xwing. Alfred Jarrys’ Les Minutes de Sable Mémorial. (Adapted; Produced; Directed; Designed by Nicholas Lowe.) Performance duration 75 mins.

2001: The Prisoners Tale. Institut Fur Kunst Im Kontext, Univeritat Der Kunst, Berlin, Germany. Performance duration 45 mins.

2000: Coq-à-l’âne: From rooster to ass a story of cock and bull. University of Bath, Creative Arts Center, Bath, UK. Installation.

2000: Stories and experiences of HIV and AIDS: A performance in the Sitting Room series. London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UCL, London, UK. Performance duration 45 mins. UEL Postgraduate seminar.

1999: Punch's Pranks. Faculty of Art Media and Design, UWE Bristol, UK. Performance duration 45 mins.

1999: The Sitting Room #3. Faculty of Art Media and Design, UWE Bristol, UK. Performance duration 45 mins.

1997: The Sitting Room #2. Hochschule Der Künste. Berlin, Germany. Performance duration 12 hours.

1997: Bed, video installation, Paper Doll #6, installation in Shaken Not Stirred—Jeune Art Photographique de Europe (A Pépinière Européennes Pour Jeunes Artistes touring exhibition). Galerie Domanique Langue, Dudelange, Luxembourg; Galerie Nei Liight, Dudelange, Luxembourg; Künstlerwerkstatt Bahnhof Westend, Berlin, Germany; Fondazione Italieana Par La Fotografia. Museo dell'Automobile, Torino. Italy.

1996: Paper Doll #4, City Limits, Staffordshire University, Stoke on Trent, UK. Installation. Paper Doll #3. Performance duration 45 minutes.

1996: The Sitting Room #1, Prema Arts Centre, Uley, Gloucestershire, UK. Performance duration six hours.

1995: Billboard, collaboration with Keith Livingstone in Fatal Attractions: AIDS and Syphilis from Medical, Public and Personal Perspectives. The Wellcome Institute For The History Of Medicine, Euston, London, UK.

1995: Unsettling Men, Camerawork Gallery, London. UK. Installation and performance residency.

1995: Bed, video installation, Paper Doll #6, installation in Shaken Not Stirred. Jeune Art Photographique de Europe. A Pépinière Européennes Pour Jeunes Artistes touring exhibition. Le Machine a Eau, Mons, Belgium; Musee Nicephore Niepce, Chalon-sur-Soane, France; Cite Internationale des Arts, Paris. France.

1994: Memorial Sentenses. Photo installation. La vie, l’amour, la mort - dix ans de création photographique autour du SIDA, Gallery FNAC, Rue De Rennes, Montparnasse, Paris, France.

1993: Paper Doll #1. Sheffield Media Show 93. Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, UK. Performance duration 45 minutes. 

1992: Living Proof: Stories of HIV. The Laing Art Gallery, Projects UK, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK.

1992: Memorial Sentences and On Stony Ground. Zone Photographic Gallery, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK.

1992: BBC Billboard Art Project. Collaboration with Keith Livingstone: Billboard, The Tate Gallery, Millbank London. Sited simultaneously on 10 locations in the UK. The Artists Agency, The BBC, Radio Times, Mills and Allan.

1991: Memorial For Oscar Wilde. Video installation. Centre Jean Monnet II, Bethune, France.

1991: La Maison Sans Interieur—The Homeless Dwelling. Centre Jean Monnet II, Bethune, France. Performance duration 20 minutes.

1991: Ça Suffit! Site-specific installation. Le Beffroi, La Grand Place, Bethune, France.

1990: On Stony Ground. Installation. Nottingham County Council Touring Exhibition, UK.

1990: (Safe) Sex Explained. Installation, in Ecstatic Antibodies. Arts Council of Great Britain Touring Exhibition, UK.