EDUCATION

1992-3   
Masters in Fine Arts 1st Class Honours(Sculpture).Fold's Memorial Prize for the Pre-eminent Fine Arts Student
Elam School of Fine Arts, University of Auckland.
Dissertation: Towards a Rigorous Extrapolative Non-verbal Three Dimensional Thinking Tool.

1984                       
Auckland Secondary Teachers’ Training College. Division C - Art and Art History.

1980 - 1982    
BA Visual Arts -Sydney College of the Arts, Australia. Double Major in Sculpture.
Specialist Areas - sound and performance.

EXHIBITIONS

1972 - 1982                  
Exhibitions in Australia and U.K., and sound pieces in Italy, Japan.

1979                   
Solo installation and cibachromes at Kitchener Gallery, Cambridge, U.K. (Recipient East Anglia Arts Council grant in support).

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS since 1990:

Group Shows

2007
The Summer Season Group Show, 40 George Street, Auckland.
Cultivating Nature, group show, 40 George Street, Auckland.

2006
22nd International Winter Festival Sarajevo, Nine Dragon Heads at the Turkish Cultural Centre - performing and installing in the free city of Sarajevo.
Drawn to it..., group exhibition, 40 George Street, Auckland.
Birds-group show, Sarjeant Gallery, Wanganui.

2005/2006
NatureCulture. 40 George Street, Auckland. 

2005
Uncanny - the unnaturally strange, an exhibition with Australian and New Zealand artists, Artspace, Auckland.
Nine Dragon Heads 10th International Environmental Art Symposium, Nine DragonHeads Foundation, Cheongju Art Centre, Seoul, Korea.

Corridor, Parked Megafauna, 2005.
C-type print, 105 x 155 cm.
Exhibited: NatureCulture,2005/2006

2004            
New Zealand Contemporary Artists Exhibition, Gallery Pici, Seoul, Korea.
Nine Dragon Heads 9th International Environmental Art Symposium, Nine DragonHeads Foundation, Cheongju Art Centre, Seoul, Korea.           
Generation 50, Te Wa - The Space, Wanganui.
II, 40 George Street. Auckland
Enterchange – Performance and Nature, curated by Wallace Heim, www.greenmuseum.org
5 Cheers for 2004, 40 George Street. Auckland.

2003
Still Life a group exhibition, also featured new Dilana Rug designs including Meccano, 40 George Street Gallery, Auckland.
Intersculpt2003 - 3D Digital Art Event, Snowwhite, Unitech Faculty of Architecture and Design, Auckland.

Detail - Meccano Square (5x5) .
Limited Edition 100% NZ wool rug by Dilana.
Launched at Still Life, Group show, 40 George Street. 2003.

2002
Auckland City Art Gallery, Drawings. Christmas Show.
Lush Platform, Melbourne, Australia.

2001
Bright Paradise - Exotic History and Sublime Artifice - 1st Auckland Triennial. Curated by Allan Smith, New Gallery, Auckland. (50 cibachromes exhibited)
Darkness & Light: looking at landscape. Co-curators Simeon Kronenberg & Ngahiraka Mason, New Gallery, Auckland.
Take an Image, Art Station, Auckland.

2000                              
Bathos selected for the Tenth Wallace Art Awards, Auckland Art Gallery, Auckland.
Darkness and Light: looking at landscape. Co-curators Simeon Kronenberg & Ngahiraka Mason,  McLellan Gallery, Melbourne, Australia.

1998                             
Islands in the Net,Curated by Nigel Clark, a web show at The Physics Room, Christchurch.

1997                 
alt. nature,[Vicki Kerr, John Lyall, Boyd Webb] Curated by Nigel Clark, Artspace, Auckland.

1995                                    
The Nervous System,curated by Alan Smith, touring group show, Govett-Brewster, New Plymouth & City Gallery, Wellington (Nov).
Waste Not, Want Not,Lopdell Gallery, Titirangi, Auckland.
Found Object,Outreach, Ponsonby, Auckland.
100 x 100 x 100, Drawings Gallery, Ponsonby, Auckland.

1994                                   
Art Now, Museum of New Zealand, Wellington.
Towards a Feral Art, Aotearoa: Picketing the Sublime, given both a cataract and a prospect of impalement (Installation - demolition timber, doweling, wooden lace [villa], picket fence, demolition windows, distressed furniture, hardboard, mechanics' inspection lamps, fake fur, stainless steel strapping. (20 x 8 x 4.5 meters)
Open the Shutter Auckland Museum Photoforum
(Four cibachrome prints of installations in remote sites)
Elam Sculpture, Old Telecom Building, Auckland.

1993
Do the Continental,Texan Art Schools, Auckland.
Garden Show, ASA Gallery, Auckland.

1992
Stranded, Elam Sculpture Show, Strand Building, Parnell, Auckland.

1991                                    
Contributor text work Like We Are Now, Auckland. Curated by John Barnett and Lesley Kaiser.

1990                                    
Photographic work in United Masters Photography exhibition at Sarjeant Gallery, Wanganui.

Solo Shows

2006
Auckland Photographic Festival - Left Luggage, 40 George Street, Auckland

2005                                   
Borrowed Scenery, new photographs and drawings, 40 George Street, Auckland.

2004                  
Burial at Sea for a Lost Elegance.  40 George Street Gallery, Auckland.
Snow Leopard Dreaming, Show, Wellington.

July 2002           
A Moa, A Math, A Mount, 40 George Street Gallery, Auckland.

July 2000                  
Lancaster Towards a Feral Art
Photographs, Peter Scott Gallery, Lancaster, England.

1999/ 2000                 
Transit of Auckland Photographs and installation, Lopdell House Gallery, Titirangi.

Cherry Blossom and Cockatoo, Munui, Korea, April 2005.
Digital photographic print from colour transparency. Edition of 3
82 x 122 cm. Exhibited: Borrowed Scenery, 40 George Street.

Return to top

May-Aug 1997                 
Towards an Hyper-Feral Art Aotearoa: Picketing the Sublime; given both a Blue Displacement and an Illuminating Vessel.
New Gallery, Auckland Art Gallery.
An installation of three parts comprising:-
- The von Guerard painting:Lake Wakatipu and Mount Earnslaw, Middle Island New Zealand 1877-79.

- The installed deconstructed landscape: Materials - demolition windows, coloured glass, doweling, wooden lace [villa], picket fence, demolition balustrade, distressed furniture, manuka, flowering cherry trunk hardboard, plywood, custom wood, mechanics' inspection lamps [blue & green incandescent bulbs], galvanised sheet metal.
17 x 12 x 5 meters.

- Artist’s text on lectern.

Rose r = a cos(1/3) θ,
Picket fencing, dowelling
and wood. 870 x 1040 x 210 mm
Exhibited: Burial at Sea for a Lost Elegance. 2004.

June 1997                 
Putting Our Town on the Map, Kawarau
(cibachromes from book. Touring show from the Bathhouse, Rotorua)

Feb 1997                 
Putting Our Town on the Map,Te Awamutu Museum. (15 cibachromes from book. Touring show from the Bathhouse, Rotorua.)

Mar 1996                   
Rotorua Museum of Art and History (The Bath-House)
(33 cibachromes from book of same title, published by Harpercollins, October 1995). Entire show was accessioned into the permanent collection.

Dec 1995                 
Putting Our Town on the Map                 

Aug 1995                 
Retrospectrum, Escalante Gallery, Ponsonby, Auckland.

1995                                    
The Waterfall, Kant's Train Set, and a Tent, Drawings Gallery, Ponsonby, Auckland

1994                                    
Installation Towards a Hyper-Feral Art, Aotearoa Pumping up The Sublime, Given Both a Waterfall and a Designated Seat.
An installation in demolition timber, furniture, tree toppings, doweling, waterfall components, pump, galvanised sheet metal.
Fisher Gallery, Auckland.

Towards an Hyper-Feral Art
An installation of three curves in demolition timber, tree toppings stainless steel strapping and doweling.
Claybrook Gallery, Auckland.

1993                  
Towards a Feral Art Aotearoa: Three Cartesian Stoppages; Given both an Uncertain Locus and Chaotic Material.
An installation of three curves in demolition timber, tree toppings stainless steel strapping and doweling, three oil stick drawings, three cibachrome prints.
Lopdell Gallery, Titirangi, Auckland.

1989
Towards a Feral Art Aotearoa: 13 Cibachrome prints.
Real Pictures, Grey Lynn, Auckland.

BUILDINGS

2002                                                      
Mobius Gate for the Village Green Park at Te Atatu, Auckland. [Selected from invited proposals.]
Lace Pavilion for the Village Green Park at Te Atatu, Auckland. [Selected from invited proposals.]

PERFORMANCES

2007 My Mother's Backyard, AK07.

Mar 2006 - Flew- a sifted, acoustic, hyper-nature response to the work of Wolfgang Laib. Auckland Art Gallery.

Apr 2005 - Nine Dragon Heads 10th International Environmental Art Symposium, Nine DragonHeads Foundation, Cheongju Art Centre, Seoul, Korea.

Dec 2004 - Snow Leopard Dreaming, Show, Wellington.

May 2004 - Yard Art and Some Laconic Natures.
8 solo performances. 40 George Street Gallery, Auckland.

Mar 2004 - A Domestic Sublime: Still Life.
4 solo works. 40 George Street Gallery, Auckland.

2001 - Waltzing the Feral, Moving Image Centre, Auckland.

2001 - Waltzing the Feral, a performance at Artspace, Auckland, as part of Bright Paradise, Triennial.
by (x no. of) People Who Hit Things.
all works written by John Lyall, (group formed in 1988).

July 2000 - Requiem for (dis-located) Electronic Moa.
A performance cyber/opera in Lancaster at the Between Nature conference, Nuffield Theatre complex.    
Three performers. Accompanying catalogue/programme.

Mar 1999 - Requiem for Electronic Moa.
A performance cyber/opera in Auckland in the rolling pacific Rim festival.
SOUNDCULTURE  98 - March 12 – 20, Hopetown Alpha, Auckland. Ten performers.
Accompanying catalogue/programme.

Sept 1998 - Pumping up the Sublime [Version 11] & Hunting Mechanism for Moa.Two performances three performers 1 hour 45 minutes at Lopdell Gallery, Titirangi. [A work involving videos, sound tapes, a waterfall, camping gear and digital sound sampler, demolition materials.]

Dec 1997 - Pumping up the Sublime.
Three performers 45 minutes at Artspace, Auckland.
(A work involving video, sound tapes, a waterfall camping gear and computer diva).

Nov 1993 - Soundculture, Tokyo, Japan solo performance work as part of a concert of three New Zealand performers- (also Phil Dadson, Juliet Palmer) Towards an hyper feral art, Aotearoa; given both a hunting mechanism and a calculus of the sublime.

1993 - Artspace, Three works all works written by John Lyall.
CLOCKWORK; ENTRAIN, DERAIL.
Three performers, 10 minutes.
Towards a Keplerian Ecology, Version 11
Three performers, 30 minutes.
Towards an Electric Ecology: A Reconciliation of Hypernatures; Given both a Dislocation by Inversion and a Vacant Niche.
Three performers, 40 minutes.

1992 - Soundwatch   (two works)
Towards a Keplerian Ecology.
Three performers, 25 minutes.
Towards an Electric Ecology: A Reconciliation of Hypernatures; Given both a Dislocation by Inversion and a Vacant Niche
Three performers, 35 minutes.

1990 - Aotea Centre Opening, Afternoon of New Music. (one work)
Sonic Descent in Eleven Intervals.
Four performers, 25 minutes.

1989 - Soundwatch: (two works)
Towers and Platforms.
Four performers, 25 minutes.
Islands (with the Sounds of their own Construction).
1 - 10 - 1 Four performers, 35 minutes.

PUBLICATIONS, RESEARCH

Books

The Accelerated Sublime: Landscape, Tourism and Identity. C. Bell & J. Lyall, USA, Praeger, 2002. International study of landscape as a commodity in both tourism and national identity discourse.

Putting Our Town on the Map. C.Bell and J. Lyall. New Zealand, HarperCollins, 1995.
Book of text and 210 images about N Z community identity symbols, signs and events in the 1990s [from a body of 2,500+ transparencies from four years of travel and research in New Zealand] This material was also used for TV documentary, travelling photographic exhibition (accessioned by Rotorua Art Museum), and national postage stamps 1998.
Finalist, New Zealand Montana Book Awards, 1996.

Book Chapters
                                 
Lyall, J. ‘Post Empire: A Philatelic Ecology’, in Cultural Studies in Aotearoa/New Zealand.  Eds. C. Bell and S. Matthewman, Oxford University Press, Melbourne. 2004. pg. 210 - 224.

Bell C. and J. Lyall. ‘Welcome to Auckland: a City Bus Tour’ in Almighty Auckland!' Eds. Ian Carter, David Craig and Steve Mathewman. Dunmore, New Zealand, 2004. pg. 210 – 224.

Bell C. and Lyall. J. ‘Pixilated Evidence’ for Convergent Cultures: Tourism and Media.  Ed. David Crouch. U.K., Routledge. [Submitted; Accepted; Forthcoming, 2004].

Bell, C. and J. Lyall. ‘Visual Cultural Methodology’ in Social Science Research in New Zealand. Eds. Carl Davidson and Martin Tolich. New Zealand, Longman, Pearson education. 2nd Edition, 2003.

Bell. C. and J. Lyall. 'The Accelerated Sublime: thrill seeking heroes in the commodified landscape' in Tourism: Between Place and Performance."
Eds. Simon Coleman and Mike Crang, Berghahn Press, Oxford, UK, 2002.
                                   
Bell, C. and J. Lyall  ‘One Night Out Gambling’ in Gambling in New Zealand. Ed. Curtis, B.  New Zealand, Dunmore, 2002.
                           
Lyall, J.  ‘A Blue Displacement: Deconstructing the Sublime’ in Derrida Down Under. Eds. Lawrence Simmons and Heather Worth; Dunmore Press. (Includes a chapter by Jacques Derrida), 2001.

Bell. C. and J. Lyall. ‘Aesthetic Leisure” in Sociology of Everyday Life in New Zealand. Ed. C. Bell, New Zealand, Dunmore Press, 2001.
                               
Bell. C. and J. Lyall.  ‘Visions of the 21st Century: Designing Future Communities’ in The New Epoch.  Ed. Martin Schoenhals and Joseph Behar. Dowling College Press, New York. 2000.

Refereed Journal Articles

Bell, C. and Lyall, J.  ‘A Town Called JenniferAnn.com’ in Space and Culture Vol. 5, No 2, 2002. pg. 268-274.
Bell, C. and Lyall. J. ‘The New Millennium: Social Ergonomics of Community Design’ U.K. Futures 32 (2000) 2001 pg. 749 – 758.

Refereed Conference Proceeding

Bell C. and Lyall J. ’Bodies on View the Crazy House, Dalat, Vietnam’ CSAA Annual Conference Culture Incorporated. Christchurch. [Submitted to Continuum, Australia.] 2002.
Bell, C. and J. Lyall.  ‘Packing Nations: Expo 2000’ The Australian Sociological Association TASA 2001 Conference, 13–15 December. CD Edited by C. Browne, K. Edwards, V. Watson and R. van Krieken.  The University of Sydney, Australia, 2002.
Bell, C. and J. Lyall. ‘Aesthetic Leisure: Arts Every Day’.  Reinvigorating New Zealand Sociology: Practices, Projects, Politics and Protests. Proceedings of Conference 2000, 17 – 19 November 2000.  University of Waikato, Department of Sociology and Social Policy, 2001

CONFERENCE PAPERS

“Representations of the Sublime in New Zealand.” Imagining New Zealand/Aotearoa: Histories and Representations. 11th annual day conference of the New Zealand Studies Association, New Zealand House, London. Saturday 3 July, 2004
‘The Unquiet Americans, Photography by the Home Team’ at CSAA Annual Conference Culture Incorporated. Christchurch, 2003.
‘Glory be… for pixilated things’ Between Natures Conference, Lancaster, UK. July 2000.
‘A Blue Displacement: Deconstructing the Sublime’ Derrida Down Under Conference, University of Auckland. August 1999.
‘Hyper-ferality and the Antipodes’ Culture and Citizenship. Conference, Centre for Cultural Studies, University of Lisbon, Portugal. December 1999.
Paper co-written with C. Bell  'The Accelerated Sublime’ at conference Practicing Places and Tourist Performances, Durham University, UK.  Published in book Tourism. Between Place and Performance edited by Simon Coleman and Mike Crang, Durham University, UK.  Later developed into own book with Praeger, 1998.
'Hyper-Ferality' Paper given at Narratives and Metaphors Conference, University of Auckland, 1996.
‘The Pink Pig Meets Peter Greenaway’. Co-written with C. Bell.  Paper and 450 transparency images for the New Zealand Sociology Association Conference, Auckland. 1993.

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

Computers in Art Co-written with Curriculum Development Group, one of a series of booklets dealing with the use of computers across the curriculum, published by the Ministry of Education, 1992.

Magazine Articles

‘You Are Here!  Stating identity in New Zealand Towns’, New Zealand Geographic magazine, issue 28, September, 1995. Article and photographs with co-writer Claudia Bell.

Photographs for:

Excavating the Past: Michael Shepherd, Painter. Author Claudia Bell, Wellington, Gilt Edge Press, 2005.
‘Pictures and politics: Pat and Gil Hanly’ in Reading Between the Lives  (ed.) Deborah Shepard, Auckland, Auckland University Press, 2004.
Nature performed: environment, culture and performance. (eds.) Bronislaw Szerszynski; Wallace Heim; Claire Waterton, Oxford; Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub. Sociological Review, 2004.
Quicksands Foundational Histories in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. (ed.) K. Newman, N. Thomas and H. Eriksen. UNSW Press, 1999.
Concept for series (from book Putting Our Town on the Map) and two photographic images, [Gore Trout and Riverton Paua]in NZ Post Town Icons stamp set.  Stamp Released on 10/10/98.
Inventing New Zealand, everyday myths of pakeha identity.  Book by Dr. Claudia Bell published by Penguin; black and white photographs by John Lyall. 1996.
SITES (Cultural Studies Journal, Massey University). Photographs National Identities/National Futures Issue.  No. 30, Autumn. 1995.
New Zealand Listener, April 8 - 14, photographs for article ‘Roadside Attractions’ by Findlay MacDonald, 1995.
SITES (Cultural Studies Journal, Massey University). Cover Art Issue No.29, Spring.1994.
Travels in Hyper-Rurality: Mythologies Perpetuated. Paper presented at the U. S. New Zealand Studies Assoc. Conference, Albuquerque, New Mexico, by Claudia Bell, 1994.
‘Travels in Hyper-Rurality: Rural Mythologies from the Road’ Paper presented at Post-Colonial Formations Conference, Brisbane by Claudia Bell, 1993.

Front and back cover Landfall 182 (June) ‘Like we are now’ exhibition. 1992.

Television Documentary

‘Putting Our Town on the Map’ for Inside New Zealand. Broadcast April 12th 1995, TV 3 Inside New Zealand series. Director, Shirley Horrocks, Point of View Productions. Concept, Images, Script Consultant, Co-Researcher - John Lyall.

VIDEOS Featuring John Lyall and his Work

Open the Shutter. Directed by Stuart Sontier. Funded by Photoforum, 1995.
Waste Not, Want Not. Directed by Rueben Martin. Funded by Lopdell Gallery and AIT, Auckland, 1995.

Catalogues

2005
Nine Dragon Heads 10th International Environmental Art Symposium, Nine DragonHeads Foundation, Cheongju Art Centre, Seoul, Korea, 2005.
New Zealand Contemporary Artists Exhibition in Seoul. Gallery Pici, Seoul, Korea. 2004.
Nine Dragon Heads 9th International Environmental Art Symposium; Nine Dragon Heads Foundation, Cheongju Art Centre, Seoul, Korea.

2004
LUSH, Platform 1, Melbourne, Australia. 2002
Bright Paradise Auckland Art Gallery. 2001
Darkness and Light, McLellan Gallery, Australia. 2000
Requiem for Electronic Moa. For a performance of cyber-opera. Published by enzyme, Auckland, New Zealand. March 1999.         
alt.nature Artspace, Auckland, and Dunedin Public Art Gallery in October. 1998
John Lyall - Towards a hyper-feral art, Aotearoa: Picketing the sublime, given both a blue displacement and an illuminating vessel.  Auckland Art Gallery. 1997.
The Nervous System: Twelve artists explore images and identities in crisis, Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, New Plymouth & City Gallery, Wellington, Te Whare Toi. 1995.
ART NOW - The First Biennial Review of Contemporary Art - Recent sculpture and installation. 1994
I BODY / SITE / MATERIAL / SIGN, Te Papa Tongarewa, Museum of New Zealand, Wellington.
Open the shutter – Auckland Photographers Now.  PhotoForum. Auckland Museum, 1994.
United Banking Group Ltd./ Sarjeant Gallery Photographic Gallery Photographic Award., Sargeant Gallery, Wanganui, 1990.

A selection of books and articles featuring John Lyall's work:

Nature performed: environment, culture and performance.
(eds.) Bronislaw Szerszynski, Wallace Heim, Claire Waterton, Oxford, and Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub. Sociological Review, 2003
Art and Text Requiem for Electronic Moa. Review by Peter Shand. August 1999.               
Pander No. 8, Soundculture Supplement, July 1999.
Art New Zealand 91, Winter Soundculture 99 by Julianne Sumic, 1999.
Chapter including commentary on the work of John Lyall by Nigel Clark in Quicksands: Myths of Origin in the Antipodes. (eds.) Nicholas Thomas, Klaus Neumann, Hilary Eriksen, UNSW Press, Australia, 1999.
On John Lyall's work, in book New Zealand Sculptors,by Priscilla Pitts; New Zealand; Bateman, 1999.
alt-nature by Christina Barton Art and Text no 61. May-July 1998.
New Zealand Neuroses, Art Asia Pacific. 1996.
Towards the Feral - John Lyall at Karekare. Art New Zealand number 78, Autumn. 1995.
ON THE ELECTRONIC SIGN A BOVE THE BNZ, CORNER OF QUEEN AND SHORTLAND STREETS LANDFALL 182. June 1992.