Lisa Newman

Lisa Newman is an intermedia performance artist and co-director/ founder of 2 Gyrlz Performative Arts, an artist-led presenting organization.  She received a BS in Fine Art from the University of Oregon in 1996, and an MA in Performance and Cultural Location in Contemporary Europe from Dartington College of Art in Devon, UK in 2007.  Newman is currently completing a PhD in Drama/Art History and Visual Studies at the University of Manchester.  Her current research explores the economic and social value of the body in performance and live art within contemporary art markets.

In both her solo work and in collaboration with partner, Llewyn Máire, as the gyrl grip, Newman explores the intricacies of obsession, fetish, and the loving relationship. She endeavors to challenge the “audience/performer” dynamic, with the goal of these roles become vague, malleable; participants are encouraged to give and receive through reciprocal openings of the self to others through live interactions.

Newman has performed in numerous festivals, residencies, and conferences throughout North America and Europe since 1995 including the Full Nelson festival (Los Angeles), the La-bás festival(Finland), Harta Monza festival (Italy), Performance Studies Intl. conferences (Rhode Island, Copenhagen, Utrecht), Rdece Zore festival (Slovenia), Five Holes festival (Canada), and numerous others.