Ross Birrell

Biography

Ross Birrell is an artist, writer and lecturer. Current practice-led research revolves around the interrelations of art, philosophy, place, politics and music in the production of a series of solo and collaborative films, installation, site-specific interventions, text works, recordings, music compositions, writing. Doctoral Research My doctoral research ‘The Theatre of Destruction: Anarchism, Nihilism and the Avant-Garde, 1909-1945’ (University of Glasgow, 2004) focused upon the contribution of 19th century anarchism and nihilism of Bakunin, Proudhon and Nietzsche to the political, philosophical and aesthetic development of the avant-garde manifestos of Futurism, Dada and Surrealism. Current Research Projects The current research project ‘Rodeo: Artist Films on R. B. Cunninghame Graham’ is based upon the develpmend of a series of site-specific films which respond to the life and work of R. B. Cunninghame Graham (1852-1936), founder of the Scottish Labour Party, the first MP to declare himself a socialist in the Houses of Parliament and subsequent founder of the Scottish National Party. Cunninghame Graham was one of Scotland’s most colourful, dynamic, radical, multifaceted, modern, international literary and political figures who has been often overlooked at home but celebrated abroad, most notably in Argentina where Cunninghame Graham was known as Don Roberto and given a state funeral in 1936. Rodeo is developed in collaboration with Argentine film producer Carolina Blbao, Telemundo Executive and Creative Director of Cine Latino, based in Miami. Research Funding The research and development of ‘Rodeo’ is funded a The Royal Society of Edinburgh Arts & Humanities Small Grant (£7500) which will support field research trips in Scotland and London, Spain, Morocco, Texas, Mexico City and Buenos Aires (March-December 2012). Research Councils Currently serving as a member of the AHRC Peer Review College (2010-14)  

Research Interest

I am interested in supervising both theoretical research and practice-led research in a range of media including film, installation, site-specific art, relational/socially-engage art, conceptual art, critical art, in the areas of: - Art and Philosophy with a particular focus upon Marx, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Benjamin, Adorno, Habermas, Derrida, Rancière, Agamben. - Art and the Political with a focus upon Chantal Mouffe and radical democracy; the Avant-Garde; the Artist’s Manifesto - Art and Destruction with a focus upon Auto-Destructive Art and Gustav Metzger