Jo Volley

Jo Volley is a Senior Lecturer on the graduate painting programme at the Slade School of Fine Art, University College London. They also serve as Co-Director of The Material Research Project and Director of the Material Museum. Born in Grimsby in 1953, Volley studied at the Slade as both undergraduate and graduate from 1972-1977, where they were awarded the Boise Travelling Scholarship to Italy. In 1986, they were appointed lecturer at the Slade and directed the Slade Summer School and the Affiliate Programme from 1989-2002.

Their research focuses on the interactions of measurement, space, light and colour, employing diverse materials including pigment, mosaic, gold leaf, image transfer, wax, limestone and various printing processes. Volley's work examines archiving, historic materials and craftsmanship, exploring the relationship between the object and subject of painting, the intervening space between idea and touch, and the emotional separateness of making across time.

Volley's practice centers on material investigation related to painting, emphasizing how material knowledge informs creative processes. They empower practitioners by focusing on the physical act of making and reaffirming craftsmanship's role in aesthetic decisions. This philosophy earned them the 2013 Provost's Teaching Award from UCL.

Significant projects include 'The Journeyman Works' series developed during their 2003 residency at the Usher Gallery, Lincoln, and the Simson&Volley collaborative partnership formed with Henrietta Simson in 2008. Volley was elected to the Art Workers Guild in 2009 and served on cathedral fabric commissions from 2012-2016.

Current research includes:

• UCL CHIRP Small Research Grant – The Pigment Timeline Project with Dr Ruth Siddall and Gary Woodley
• Grand Challenges Sustainable Cities Small Grants 'From Pigments to Solar Power' with Dr Hugo Bronstein and colleagues
• Principal Investigator on AHRC-funded Collaborative Doctoral project with Winsor & Newton 'The Materials Research Project: From Landscape to Colour' (2013-2016)

Volley's extensive exhibition history spans decades and continents, from 'The Golden Key' (2005) in Bangkok to recent works like 'Objects of the Misanthropocene: Unearthing futures' (2022) at UCL. They are developing the 'Art School Guide to Material Practice, Vol.I Supports, Grounds & Surfaces,' continuing their commitment to connecting historical techniques with contemporary artistic exploration.