Adam works to unpick the discordant images, ideas and perceptions of the rural from the sub-urban/urban perspective in relation to the realities of modern British agriculture. Growing up between suburbia and a dairy farm, Adam positions himself in conversations that intersect the boundaries of rural and urban. It is this juxtaposition of worlds that fascinates Adam to open up dialogues to understand the relationships of people, places, processes and animals that are often intentionally masked from the urban. The core of his practice is rooted in the exploration of reclaimed materials, often sourced from dairy farms. Adam’s sculptural installations have made use of faecal strewn steel, bale twine and cattle mattresses carefully assorted with consumable products such as cattle marking paints. In the careful curation of these materials and objects, the work begins to explore the exchanges that take place in the rural through the performed language sets of stock judging. The Stock judging lexicons have become of significant interest to Adam in developing recent work sculptural installations.
In addition to the core of his practice, Adam regularly undertakes collaborative enquires to contextualise and reflect on his practice. This has taken form in experimental conference papers, community based multi-sensory projects, public engagement/outreach work and artists residencies. Adam has worked with a number of key stake holders to undertake collaborative work including The British Council, independent arts centres, institutions and museums such as the Museum of English Rural Life (MERL) and with academic experts in their field including Dr Ciara Healy and a newly developed partnership with Dr Orla Shortall.
Conference Posters
2022
What can artists do to re-think farming practices presented at ‘The official launch of the Land Sciences Department’, South East Technological University Waterford, Ireland (Dec)
Cultural Capital: Adding value to rural agricultural economies presented at ‘Agri Sparks’, South East Technological University Waterford, Ireland (Oct)
Cultural Capital: Adding value to rural agricultural economies presented at ‘AlterRurality 6: Re-Scaling the Rural’, Aarhus School of Architecture, Thy and Aarhus, Denmark (May)
Conference Papers
2021
Alter-rurality: Art and Agriculture, my PhD paper presented at ‘The Rural Reimagined: Lismore Castle, Ireland (Nov)
Alter-rurality: Art and Agriculture, my PhD paper presented at ‘The Rural Reimagined: Perth, Scotland (Oct)
2020
The Passage of Transference: Economies of Agri-language paper presented at symposium ‘PLACEing Objects: Day of Dialogue & Dialectics’ spudWORKS, Sway (Feb)
2017
Agri-Language: Dairy presented at Thames Tower conference ‘Unnaturally Occurring Compliance’ University of Reading PhD Symposium (June)
In the Flesh: 3D Scanning and Printing presented at ‘Digital Takeover: A MERL Late’ for Museums at Night in collaboration with Dominique Green (May)
2016
Already the World: A Post-Humanist Dialogue presented at ‘Being In Place: The Highs and Lows of Sited Practice’ University of Dundee in collaboration with Ciara Healy (Nov)
Already the World: A Post-Humanist Dialogue presented at ‘AlterRurality 3: Field Work’ GMIT Letterfrack, Ireland in collaboration with Ciara Healy (June)
Solo Shows
2021
Smeared 1B Window Gallery, Walthamstow
Selected Group Shows
2020
PLACEing Objects spudWORKS, Sway, Hampshire (Feb)
2018
The Sand Box – Coding with Clay collaboration with Jon Lockhart, Museum of English Rural Life, Reading (April – June)
Alumni Day University of Reading (June)
2017
ELIA Online Festival ELIA Creatives
System Sliced Cornerstone Arts Centre, Didcot (Aug-Sept)
SPOIL HEAP Wiltshire Museum, Devizes (July-Sept)
SEVEN HOUR RENDER Thames Tower, Reading (June)
Condensed Milk Degree Show, University of Reading (June)
MFA Interim University of Reading (Mar)
CLUB COLLECTIVUM Copeland Gallery, London (Feb)
2016
Being In Place WASPS Studio, Dundee, Scotland (Nov)
No Connection University of Reading (Nov)
Times. Common. Future. Wuhan New World Times Art Centre, Wuhan, China (Oct)
Food in the Frame Institute of Education, University of Reading (Sep)
Dusk Degree Show University of Reading (June)
MFA Interim Show University of Reading (Mar)
2015
Destination Nature University of Reading (Oct)
TOB1 Degree Show University of Reading (May)
2014
24hrs Under The Arch Beaconsfield Gallery, London (Jan)
2013
Midterm undergrad shows: ceramics, casting and fabrication University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA (Nov)
Performances and Screenings
2021
FEED film in collaboration with UK and Irish dairy farmers, Dr Orla Shortall (The James Hutton Institute), Robbie McKane (camera work and editing) supported by The British Academy. Film shown at The Rural Re-Imagined conference, Lismore Castle Arts, Ireland (Nov)
2020
Stock performance collaboration with Oren Shoesmith at PLACEing Objects, spudWORKS, Sway, Hampshire, UK (Mar)
2017
Hold. Test. Empty. Remove. Repeat. film collaboration with Ciara Healy shown at Cross Multi Inter Trans: Biennial Conference of ASLE-UKI with Land2 conference and arts exhibition – exhibited, Sheffield Hallam University, UK (Sept)
Hold. Test. Empty. Remove. Repeat. film collaboration with Ciara Healy shown at SPOIL HEAP Film screening, Wiltshire Museum, Devizes, UK (July & Sept)
2016
Milk. Mammals. performed at University of Reading, UK (Feb)
Publications
BOVINE THE DAIRY LEXICON, 2017, Adam Stead
TOB1, 2015, BA Degree show catalogue
Funding Awards
South East Regional Development fund supporting Doctoral research, South East Technological University (SETU) 2021
The Friends of the University of Reading 2016
University of Reading Masters Scholarship 2015
Carter Memorial Degree Show Prize University of Reading 2015
Residencies
UoR Field School Artist in Residence Marden Henge, Wiltshire (July 2016)
ArtLab @ Marden Henge UoR Field School Marden Henge, Wiltshire (July 2017)
UoRtWuhan supported by the British Council, University of Reading, University of Wuhan, New China World Land Ltd. at Wuhan University, China (May – October 2016)
Adam Stead 