Tim GRUCHY

BIO

Born in Towyn, Wales, 1957, immigrated to Australia in 1958, currently lives and works in Auckland and Sydney.

Tim has been a practicing and exhibiting artist since 1980. His work is polyvalent in approach, including music, video art, performance and installation, photography, participation in artist-run collectives, and infrastructural activism.

The recurring key ideas, interests and philosophical tenets of his practice are the research, exploration and composition of immersive and interactive multimedia through installation, music and performance while redefining it’s role, challenging the delineations between cultural sectors and seeking new cross disciplinary forms. Persistent themes include human perception, artificial intelligence, synaesthesia, memory and cultural identity.

Tim has been actively engaged in the research and development of the Arts and Culture Sector during this time. In fact this is and continues to be an essential aspect of his practice. Significant roles include curricular advisor to the education department of Queensland at primary, secondary and tertiary level to the introduction of computers into the arts curriculum. Tim undertook research at QUT into interactivity in a performative context which led to the establishment of QUT’s inter-disciplinary research lab; a sub-strand of which was researching disability and interactivity.

He wrote the multimedia curricular with his brother Mic for NIDA. Informally the Brothers Gruchy have been very instrumental in advocating for dedicated video and multimedia departments in the major performing arts complexes throughout Australia. He has also contributed significantly to the development and understanding of multimedia design and integration in the Museum sector.

Tim’s extensive career spans the exploration and composition of immersive and interactive multimedia through installation, music and performance while redefining it’s role, challenging the delineations between cultural sectors. He has exhibited multimedia works, photography, video, music and performance since the 1980s as well as his larger expressions in the public art arenas. His works are held in private, corporate and museum collections.

His installations and performances feature in many international and Australasian institutions, festivals and public spaces including Auckland Arts Festival (2015 & 2009), New Zealand Arts Festival (2014), SCOUT Auckland (2012), Biennale of Sydney (2012) (collaboration), Beijing 798 (2011), Shanghai Expo (2010), 2nd Asian Art BIennial Taiwan (2009), Melbourne International Arts Festival (2009), Adelaide Festival (1986-2008), and Sydney Festival (2004). Theatre and opera credits include ‘AIDA’ Sydney Opera House and touring Australia (2009-2013), ‘Ainadamar’, Adelaide Festival (2008), ‘The Leningrad Symphony’ (2006) and ‘HAIR’ (2003). His visual designs have featured in works by Opera Australia, OzOpera, Sydney Theatre Company, Australian Dance Theatre and Mau.

His work has been exhibited in Australia, New Zealand, China, Taiwan, Holland, Belgium, UK, USA, Japan, France and Thailand

Tim has lectured and facilitated workshops in video art and interactive digital design at creative institutions around the world including Shanghai; Future University of Hakodate (Japan); National Institute of Dramatic Art (Sydney); University of Technology Sydney; Te Papa (New Zealand) and Queensland University of Technology (Brisbane). He has also been extensively involved in museum design and various projects at the intersection of architecture and multimedia.

Currently Tim is primarily a solo practicing artist. He continues to collaborate with his brother Mic as The Brothers Gruchy, and is in the visual music duo HAPTIC with James Pinker.

He also continues to undertake creative collaborations with a range of operatic, theatrical, musical and contemporary dance groups. His work has been seen extensively in all the major performing arts festivals in Australasia and many major exhibitions and Biennials internationally.

He is represented by Trish Clark Gallery in New Zealand and 4Face Space in China. Tim is a member of APRA, SPA and lectures regularly at in the Fine Arts Department of Shanghai University and is signed to music label AAA productions.

Art Practice Keywords:
Performance Art, Installation Art, Multimedia Art, Interactive Art, Camera-less film, Photography

Artist Role Keywords:
Artist, Run Spaces, Artist, Arts Administrator, Curator, Researcher, Social Activist, Cultural Activist

Collaboration/ Collaborator names Keywords:

ZIP, ZPG, CLOUT, Artcask, One Flat, That Space, John Mills Himself

Collections

Artbank / Appearance Tells Heart, photography / 2012

ACMI / Synthing, interactive immersive installation / 2002

Various private collections

Various Private Collections

CV

Career Highlights

SCOUT, interactive multi-media public art commission, Britomart, Auckland, 2012-present

Clesthyra’s Undoing, immersive interactive installation, 2nd Asian Art Biennial Taiwan, 2009

Museum of Dreams, Brothers Gruchy, immersive interactive installation, Sydney Festival, 2004

Leningrad Symphony, Adelaide Festival commission with Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, 2006

VisionFour5, interactive techno performance band, 1988-1995

RAT (Recreational Arts Team) Parties, visual designer, 1988-1994

Collaborations:

Selected

HAPTIC, visual music band with James Pinker, 2013-present

Commissions: Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra, Strike Percussion Ensemble, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Australian Opera, Sydney Theatre Company, visual designer

2ABU’s, recording band with Tony Kastanos, 2000-2006

VisionFour5, interactive techno performance band, 1988-1995

RAT (Recreational Arts Team) Parties, visual designer, 1988-1994

CLOUT, multimedia performance collective

ZIP/ ZPG, multimedia and performative collective

Various collaborations with Mic Gruchy as Brothers Gruchy, 1988-present

Bibliography at a glance:

VJ-Audio Visual Art & VJ Culture / D-Fuse / Laurence King – UK / 2006

Interzone, Media Arts In Aust / Darren Tofts / Craftsman House / 2005

Mesh-Altered States / feature / Melb / Issue#11 p4 / 1997

Aust Multimedia Mag / feature / Syd / Vol2NO4 p4 / 1995

Aust Digital Mag / cover & feature / Syd / Issue No5 p2 / 1995