David J. Knight is the multifaceted, creative mind behind Fenylalanine Publishing and XAGGERA, a Fenylalazine or magazine of art. Not one to be easily categorized, Knight is a professional field and academic archaeologist, artist, and author.
Born and raised in Guelph, Knight earned his Bachelor of Art from the University of Guelph. Knight continued his education in the United Kingdom where he earned his MA and MPhil in archaeology from the University of Southampton. Knight’s field archaeology experiences have taken him from the UK to Spain, Italy, France, Belgium, Guernsey and Syria.
Knight’s ties to Guelph brought him back to where he began. Upon returning to Guelph, he has supported several creative initiatives and projects in our community. A celebrated scholar, internationally published author, and internationally exhibited visual and sonic installation and performance artist, Knight has brought a unique perspective to the creative community of Guelph. Currently, he is the General Editor of Vocamus Editions, an imprint of Vocamus Press, as well as being the founder of Fenylalanine Publishing.
Fenylalanine Publishing was launched in 2015 and explores a variety of alternative audio and visual exhibitions as well as literary arts, many of which are connected to Guelph. XAGGERA is the new Fenylalazine, or art magazine, from Fenylalanine Publishing, and is an effort to fill the need for an art magazine based in Guelph. XAGGERA brings together 22 contributions from local, national and international visual and literary art scenes.
When asked about the projects Knight explained, “XAGGERA attempts to be a mooring and embarkation point for creativity not necessarily aligned with the standard gallery-artist-artspeak system… [Fenylalanine and XAGGERA] embrace and foster creative ways of seeing, reading, listening, doing, thinking, and gardening.”
The first issue of XAGGERA celebrates the 40th anniversary of Ed Video Media Arts Centre. There will be a public event to kick off the launch where you can pick up your copy of XAGGERA. Fenylalanine would like to thank the support of Ed Video Media Arts Centre, Vocamus Editions, Friends of the Press (Vocamus Press), Lanugo Press, and Taste deTours for their support. Special thanks also go to XAGGERA designer Liz Morant, Humphrey Primp for advice, and to the 22 contributors that made the publication of Guelph’s first art magazine a possibility.
The public event is on Facebook as XAGGERA Launch Celebrating Ed Video’s 40th Anniversary.
Venue: A.N.A.F. Club 344, Guelph
9:15pm September 30 – 1:15am October 1st 2016.
The printed version will be available for purchase ($10) at the launch.
Entrance donations welcome.
A Subculture Day.
Live Music Performances By:
Clara Engel
The Dogs (Harri Palm, Molly Kurvink, Adrian Stickland)
Performed Recording:
Mercury, a sound-piece of transportation by David J. Knight, Clara Engel and Bieke Stengos
Media Viewings:
Automobilia Nervosa, a short film / video from 1986 by David J. Knight
Ed Video archives mash-up by Scott McGovern
XAGGERA Contributors:
Soukeyna Boye – English Teacher (Paris, France)
Daniel Bratton – pedagogue (Elora, Ontario, Canada)
Lynn Broughton / Taste deTours (Guelph, Ontario, Canada)
Lydia Chiussi / Lanugo Press (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) *University of Guelph Alumna
Nicole Collins – OCAD teacher and exhibiting artist (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) *University of Guelph Alumna
Michael Davidson – Exhibiting artist (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) *University of Guelph Alumnus
Clara Engel – Toronto musician songwriter (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
Nick Ford – Author (Southampton, UK)
Jeremy Luke Hill – Editor-in-Chief of Vocamus Press (Guelph, Ontario, Canada) *University of Guelph Alumnus
David J. Knight – Editor-in-Chief of Vocamus Editions, CEO of Fenylalanine Publishing, creator of XAGGERA (Guelph, Ontario, Canada) *University of Guelph Alumnus and Campus Author
Garth Laidlaw – Graphic artist (Guelph, Ontario, Canada)
Scott McGovern – Artist and Ed Video staff (Guelph, Ontario, Canada)
Sona Mincoff – Artist (Guelph, Ontario, Canada)
Liz Morant – Graphic Designer (Guelph, Ontario, Canada)
John Nyman – text-smith (Guelph, Ontario, Canada)
Humphrey Primp – relaxation (Guelph, Ontario, Canada)
Peter Skoggard – Experimental Composer (Elora, Ontario, Canada)
Nicole Smith – Archaeologist (York, UK)
Liz Snyder – University of Guelph staff (Guelph, Ontario, Canada)
Bieke Stengos – poet (Guelph, Ontario, Canada)
Andrew Vowles – Writer / University of Guelph staff (Guelph, Ontario, Canada)
Carol Williams (Elora, Ontario, Canada)
More information about David J. Knight, Fenylalanine Publishing and XAGGERA, a Fenylalazine or magazine of art.
