The Roger Ely Experience

LADA is delighted to be contributing to The Roger Ely Experience, a celebration of the life of artist, curator, publisher and teacher Roger Ely who died in December 2015.

Alongside an exhibition and video programme, artists, friends and collaborators will each present a short performance made especially for the event. Contributors include Anne Bean, Steve Beresford, Neil Butler, Coco Loco, Angie Dight, Ginny Farman, Roy Hutchins, Lois Keidan, John Kieffer, Dave Stephens, Richard Strange, John Watts, Mark Waugh, and Tony White.        

Roger Ely (1952-2015) was an artist, curator, publisher and teacher, a true avant-gardist who developed a series of influential projects combining performance, experimental writing, stand-up comedy, art criticism, improvised music, DIY cultures, and new media – often in unusual and independently initiated contexts. His achievements include: Curator, Brighton Contemporary Arts Festival (1977-1979) including Throbbing Gristle: Music from the Death Factory; Editor, P.S.: Primary Sources journal (1979-1982); Curator, B2 Gallery (1981-1984) including The Final Academy (William Burroughs, Brion Gysin, John Giorno); and Curator/Performer, The Zap Club (1982-1998) including Taboo (Marc Almond, Kathy Acker, Lydia Lunch, Cosey Fanni Tutti, Cerith Wyn Evans, John Maybury, Neo-Naturists).

Roger collaborated with Dave Stephens, Rob Con and Ian Hinchliffe as Matchbox Purveyors. Roger studied at Leeds College of Art. His tutors included John Darling and Jeff Nuttall.  

Roger was one of the founders and editor of Primary Sources magazine, of which LADA holds the complete collection of issues 1 to 8 in our Study Room.

Roger co-produced HINCH with Dave Stephens, a film about Ian Hinchliffe, published by LADA in 2014

Roger was interviewed for Oreet Ashery’s Revisiting Genesis project in 2015 which was shown as part of LADA Screens in 2016.