About
Akerman Daly is Jeremy Akerman and Eileen Daly. We formed our collaboration in 2004 with the intention of publishing writing by contemporary artists. Since 2011 AD have worked with artist Paul Abbott who co-produces our live work and the website.
Artists have always used writing; whether that is notes to themselves, letters, theory, art criticism, plays, poems, manifestos, novels or journalism. We see this writing as an integral part of an artists work. It interests us because in it we find much that expands and challenges ideas about what art is.
We develop projects to be realised in print, online or through performances, seeing artists’ writings as complementing and extending what artists do — contributing in a specific way to the art community.
Most of our work begins with a conversation. We discuss what we’ve seen or read, and ideas emerge. The conversations then bring in other people until the form begins to takes shape.
Our first book was an anthology of short fiction stories that was published by Serpents Tail in 2006. The Alpine Fantasy of Victor B and Other Stories contains seventeen newly commissioned short stories by artists from different generations and artistic practice. In 2008 we recorded an interview with Jon Thompson about how and why he writes for fellow artists; this has led to a compilation of his writings, which was published by Ridinghouse in 2011.
We work closely alongside artists giving individual attention to develop their work, an 18-month period with Gary O’Connor produced, The Field, published to coincide with a solo show at Transition Gallery, London, E8. More recently we have worked alongside Paul Rooney for a book of his short stories and our resident web-site artists, Edward Allington, Patrick Coyle and Fabian Peake.
In 2009 Jeremy Akerman chaired Existential Territories for Book Works, a series of six events that focused on artists’ writings. Speakers included: Maria Fusco, Janice Kerbel, Stewart Home, Andrew Hunt, Nina Power, Clunie Reid, Paul Buck, Lynne Tillman, Kit Hammond and Emily Wardill, among others.
From 2010 projects have developed an online presence, publishing interviews with artists and offering residencies. We offer resident artists critical feedback, editorial, technical and publishing support, against the wider backdrop of their work and interests.