Administrative/Biographical History

Coming from a fine art background Holly Revell began her photographic adventures making work which was about photography and its theories and using it to facilitate happenings. It was on the queer cabaret and club scene in London that Revell found her place and then made her mark with her project ‘DARKROOM’ in 2010. An experiential installation which invited participants to join a tableaux and make pictures in the dark. Playing with the terminology of traditional photography and gay nightclub culture, it created a space where anything could happen. The resulting images resemble classic paintings using chiaroscuro, they are intimate, sensual and evocative, echoing the experience of making them. It was this technique of long exposure photography and the slowing down of image making which she utilised in another notable project, ‘Transformations’, which is a series of photographs made with performers reflecting their transition from drag back to original self in one photograph (2016).

Despite an initial reluctance to document other artist’s work, Revell inevitably began to turn her camera onto the extraordinarily talented performers she was working alongside, including David Hoyle, Scottee and Jonny Woo. This work has enabled her to obtain an insiders point of view of queer performance art and to get to know some of its most talented movers and shakers intimately. She has a unique perspective and a specific eye which obsesses over the individuals who she works with gaining understanding and insight from behind the magician’s curtain! Notably her photo-book ‘David Hoyle: Parallel Universe’ (published in 2017) which is the culmination of eight years working alongside and with David at his London shows. The book is a record of his many looks, moods and emotions along with it being a diaryistic peek at the physical preparation and aftermath of the performances of one of the world’s most avant-garde, queer, punk, performance artists of all time.

Holly Revell is also part of ‘Documentation Action Research Collective’ who are an interdisciplinary group of international artists working on alternative and collective modes of documenting performance.

Revell is a firm believer in the necessity for good quality, honest documentation of queer culture, its preservation and ensuring its place in history.

"Holly is a documenteur, photographer and artist who has a keen eye for preserving and collaborating with queer artists. Her main body of this work has been to document David Hoyle and me!” (Scottee).

Scope and content

Photographic archive of Holly Revell, including digital images and prints from the following projects and of the following artists:

• Early Work – Nudes (2008-2012)
• Darkroom (2010-2014)
• Boy With A…(2013-2014)
• Transformations (2014-2016)
• Tranny Crush (2014-2016)
• David Hoyle (From 2010)
  

Slurry (2010), Winter Warmer (2011), 100 Years of Hell (2012), Pandregina (2012), Guiding Light (2013), Heavenly Voices (2013), Vauxhall Portraits (2013), I Victim (2014), Illustration (2014), Still Life (2014), Abracadabra (2015), Future Perfect (2015), Utopia (2015), Wholly Night (2015), David Unt Christeene (2016), Mega Thursdays (2016-2018), The Prime of Ms David Hoyle (2016), Meta Data (2016), October Revolution (2017), Snowflake (2017), Triumvirate (2017), Diamond (2017-2018), Electric Cars (2018), Exobiology (2018), Gymnasium (2018).

David Hoyle: Parallel Universe Photo-Book Project (2017)

• Scottee (From 2012)
• Camp (2012-2016)
• Hamburger Queen (2012, 2013, 2014, 2018)
• Portraits (2012-2017)
• Theatre Shows: The Worst of Scottee (2014), Putting Words into your Mouth (2016), Bravado (2017), From Withanhoe with Love (2017), Fat Blokes (2018).
• Mixed Cabaret: Variety Variety (2012), Eat your Heart Out (2013), Palava (2014), Club Spiegal (2015), Party Piece (2012 and 2016), The Door (2016), Live Art Living Room (2017), Naff Drag (2017/8).

Jonny Woo, John Sizzle and Co. (From 2012)

• The Glory (2015-2017)
• Lipsync 1000 (2015-2017)
• Jonny Woo’s Unroyal Variety Show (2016-2018)

• Mixed Performance: Bestival (2012), Cellar Door (2015), National Theatre (2016), Green Rooms Launch (2016), Halloween (2015), RVT (2012), Transformer (2015/17), Jonny Woo’s Stream of Consciousness (2018), Sex Crime (2018).
  

Duckie (2013-2016)

• Duckie 18 (2013)
• Gateways (2013)
• Gay Shame (2014)
• Mods and Rockers (2014)
• The Posh Club (2014)
• Border Force (2015)
• Hackney Honky Tonk (2015)

  Lady Malcolm’s Servants Ball (2016).
  

VFD (From 2011)

• A Very Important Business Womans Aids Benefit Gala (2011)
• Naked Boys Reading (2012)
• David Hoyle and Christeene get Married (2014)
• Kembra Pfahler (2016)
• Femme Ferral Theresa May Smackdown (2018).

Mixed Performers and Shows (From 2010)

A Man to Pet, Amy Lame, Annie Siddons, Annie Pics, Archie Redford, Azara Meghie, Baby Lame, Barbara Brownskirt, Ben Walters: Come with me if you want to live, Bird la Bird, Borgeois and Maurice, Bryony Kimmings, Catherine Hoffman, Chester Hayes, Crysi de Milo, Dan McBride, Dice Festival, Dr Sharon Husbands, Fabulous Russella, Fagulous/Niall Hunt, Figs in Wigs, Finn Love, FK Alexander, Frau Welt, Ginger Johnson / Donald Marshall, Harry Clayton-Wright, Hole, Holestar, Hotter, Jacqui Potato/Julian Smith, Jayde Adams, Jess Love, Joey Arias, John Sizzle, Jonny Woo, Jonbenet Blonde, Katy Baird, Krishna Istha, Laurie Williams, Lavinia Co-Op, Lily Snatchdragon, Lolo Brow, Lovebox, Lucy Hopkins, Lucy McCormick, Lyall Hakaraia, Max Allen, Max Beecher, Maxi More, Meth, Milk Presents – Bullish, Joan and Self Service, Myra Dubois, Nando, Ophelia Bitz, Penny Arcade, Pretty Miss Cairo, Raze Collective, Rhys Hollis, Rubyyy Jones, RVT Pantos – Screwged and Little Orphan Fanny, Steakhouse – Festival and Tits and Tinsel, Summer Rites, Ted Rodgers, Travis Alabanza, Ursula Martinez, Vijay Patel, Zach Fletcher.

Photobooths (2014-2016)

• Living Picture (2014)
• Figs in Wigs - Hi-Brow (2014-2015)
• Studio Show-off (2015-2016)
• Duckie is 21 (2016)
• Milk Presents – Bromance (2017).

DARC (2018)

• Zine, Chemo/photograms, Transformance photos b/w 35mm prints and digital photos.

More about Holly and her work can be viewed by visiting hollyrevell.co.uk

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