David Medalla
Born in the Philippines in 1942, Medalla came to Britain in 1960. He was the co-founder, with Paul Keeler, of the pioneering Signals Gallery and he championed the work of artists from Brazil such as Lygia Clark and Hélio Oiticica. In 1971 Medalla was also co-founder, with John Dugger, of the Artists Liberation Front in London and Chair of Artists for Democracy [ADF] 1974-77. He was a key kinetic artist in his early practice but became more interested in collective responses via, for example, The Exploding Galaxy which he founded. He also made many performance works either alone or with others.
David Medalla
Performance documentation / Examples of works
Down with the Slave Trade!, 1971, London [Image in Black Phoenix, No 3]
People Weave a House, with John Dugger, 1972, ICA, London
A Stitch in Time, 1972, Gallery House, London
Airlines, 1976, Fitrovia Cultural Centre, 143 Whitfield Street, London
The Dialogue between Tatlin and Malevich, c 1977, Acme Gallery
Reciprocal Didaticks: No 3 – David teaching Oriol how to cook Philippine noodles, with Oriol Quadras, 1978, Slade School of Art, London [one of 12 joint performance art works, 1978] [Poster in The African-Caribbean, Asian and African Art in Britain Archive, Chelsea College of Art]
Beneath the Radar in 1970s London, 2010, England and Co Gallery
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Publications
ARAEEN, Rasheed, (1979) ‘Conversation with David Medalla’ in Black Phoenix, No 3, Spring, pp 10-19 [in The African-Caribbean, Asian and African Art in Britain Archive, Chelsea College of Art]
BRETT, Guy (1995) Exploding Galaxies – The Art Of David Medalla, UK: ACE/INIVA
Study Room Ref: P2834
Documenting Live, 2008
Study Room Ref: P1081
WALKER, John A. (2002) Left Shift: Radical Art in 1970s Britain, London: I. B. Tauris
Study Room Ref: P0623
Talks/Interviews
Tate Shots: David Medalla
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Website
