Phil Dadson

Phil Dadson is a video & sound artist with a transdisciplinary practice including solo performances, building experimental instruments and sonic objects, digital media, drawings, music compositions and improvisations on invented instruments.

Video, and foregrounding sound, has been a feature of his practice since the early 70s, referencing body, land, nature, triadics and the human condition.

“Dadson’s prime concern is to tap into material existence to find its rhythm and pulse, to explore a sensory realm in order to connect with the world in both its concrete and disembodied dimensions . . . . His is a socially motivated project…which through sound, moving image and performance… allows the body to function as an active medium for registering the material and hidden facts of existence”. - Tina Barton, extracts from catalogue essay for Tapping the Pulse (2005)

"With an acute sensitivity for the landscape, his simple gestures create a world of wonder and wit.Dadson’s play on polarities amplifies our awarenss of a kinetic world. He recontextualises environments by combining opposing forces with whimsical juxtapositions of sight and sound”. - Andrew Clifford, extracts from catalogue essay to Polar Projects (2004)

Phil Dadson is also the founder of legendary From Scratch (1974 - 2004), internationally known for its dynamic, rhythmic performances on original instruments. Awards include: US Fulbright 1991, NZ Arts Foundation Artist Laureate 2001, Antarctic Artist Fellowship 2003, ONZM 2005, Wellington Sculpture Trust commission 2006, Sankriti residency (India 2007), Artist Cinema commission 2010, PEW Kermadec commission 2011.