Art Criticism and Research
Critical inquiry across borders
Dr. Les Joynes (US) is a ZERO1 multi-media artist and contemporary arts scholar active with AICA conferences since 1999. He has contributed to Art in America, Springer, Flash Art and the Journal for Artistic Research (JAR) and recent books including Going Beyond: Art as Adventure (2018): Cambridge Scholars UK; Anywhere v.1. (2015), Parsons School of Art; New York; Inside Out Art Museum, New York: LeRoy Neiman Foundation [catalogue]; Art and Research at the Outermost Limits of Site Specificity, Newcastle, Australia; New Institutional Models: China’s Cultural Landscape by Mid-Century (2018), Long Museum, Shanghai and DrawnOver: Contemporary Drawing (2018), Vojvodina, Serbia: Museum of Contemporary Art [catalogue] and Octopus (2012) Journal for Visual Culture. Irvine: University of California, Irvine.
FormLAB-Mongolia installation at Mongolia’s National Museum (2014). Fulbright-Hays US Public Diplomacy Award. © Les Joynes, ARS, New York
Ongoing research
As Visiting Scholar in the Department of Art History at Columbia University Les examines models for museums of the future inspired by the pioneering work of Jonathan Crary, John Rajchman and Rosalind Kraus at Columbia University. Les began his affiliation with Columbia during his doctoral and post-doctoral studies and was a scholar on Contemporary Art practice at the School of the Arts; Scholar on Art and Aesthetics in the Department of Philosophy and scholar on advanced curriculum design for future MFA programs in the Department of International and Transcultural Studies.
A ZERO1 Art and Technology artist, Les is founder of FormLAB - a nomadic museum installation series which is recipient of two Fulbright-Hays awards and has exhibited in the US, Singapore, South Korea, France, Mongolia and China and prepares new work for India (2022) and Russia (2023).
Editorial Experience
Active in AICA conferences in Tokyo and London, Les serves on the Editorial Board for ProjectAnywhere, a peer-reviewed journal on artistic research at the University of Melbourne and Parsons School of Art, New York and was TrAIN Research Fellow at the Centre for Transnational Art, Identity and Nation at University of the Arts London. He has been active in editing since 1999. He is a Fellow
“Working within established professional standards set by International Coaching Federation and leadership coaching programs at New York University and Columbia University coaches we work co-actively with clients and small teams. Using the GROW model (Whitmore, 1992) the Coach works with the client to identify Goals, Current Realities. Options/Obstacles and Ways Forward.” - Les Joynes
Site Specific Arts
How can museums develop diversity, equity and inclusion within their mission and deliverables? How can they enhance career satisfaction and retention in their organizations? Coaching builds cross-team functionality, autonomy and efficiency in times when cohesion is needed most.
Experimental Arts
How can researchers and academics thrive even in uncertain times? Academic coaching is not only essential for graduate students on MA, PhD and PostDoctoral programs in developing, planning and defending their research but also for academics from all levels in the continued development of their careers, contributing to the field, the mission of the university and the needs of new generations of students.
Documentary
How can artists build sustainable and flourishing practices? Artists work at the interface of materials and ideas. They are constantly navigating in changing environments. Coaching enables them to set goals, and vision for exhibitions, work life balance, teaching and longer term life objectives.
Bio: Dr. Les Joynes is an NYU-certified professional coach specialized in the cultural industries. Les is a Leadership Coach at Columbia Business School, Academic Coach at University of Melbourne, Australia and an Entrepreneurship Coach at the New School. Experienced serving Fortune 500 organizations since 1989 in the US, EU and Asia, Les has coached in museums at Yale and artists at Columbia.
Les combines left-brain (analytical) and right-brain (creative) thinking to explore solutions that enhance personal and professional growth. A graduate of Goldsmiths, London Les is a scholar on arts, philosophy, art history, education and leadership at Columbia since 2008, Les draws from 35 years interdisciplinary experience to inspire his coaching and teaching. He is visiting faculty and Professor of Record for courses on American Art History and Multi-media experiential practices at Renmin University in Beijing and has lectured on intercultural collaboration at University of Cambridge, Columbia University, Peking University Institute of Cultural Industries, University of California Santa Barbara, University of the Arts London (UAL), University of Coventry, and the Bard-Smolny Program at St Petersburg State University in Russia. He was Fellow (2015) at the University of the Arts London Research Center on Transnational Art, Identity and Nation (TrAIN) and researched advanced curriculum design at Teachers College, Columbia University (2017-2018).
Les is a member of the ICF and IOC Affiliate of Harvard Medical School, the American Alliance of Art Museums, College Arts Association and serves on Art and Anthropology as a Fellow of the Royal Anthropological Institute, London. Educated in the US, UK and Japan he has an M.Sc Managment from Boston University, MBA from California State University, MA from Goldsmiths, London, MA from Musashino Art University, Japan, PhD from the Faculty of Art, Environment and Technology, Leeds Metropolitan University, UK and Post-Doctorate from the School of Communications and Arts (ECA), University of São Paulo, Brazil. He is recipient of the US Department of State ACMS Fellowship for his research on International Education and the Fulbright-Nehru Academic and Professional Excellence Award and is a Visiting Research Scholar on intercultural collaboration in the arts at Teachers College. A member of the College Arts Association since 2004 he has coached academics and artists at at CAA conferences. Active in curating since the early 1990s he contributed to the First International Taipei Biennial “Sites of Desire” exhibition in 1998 and produces museum exhibitions in Brazil, Mongolia, China and upcoming in India on Fulbright and US Public Diplomacy Awards.
