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Laura Duncan graduated from Gray’s School of Art with First class honours in Fine Art Photographic and Electronic Media.

At university, Laura won Gray’s Caram Trust award in both 2010 and 2011. She was also shortlisted for the university’s 2012 BP Fine Art prize for her degree show work.

Laura has exhibited nationally including: GFEST 2011 – London’s leading queer art festival. In 2012, Laura was selected to exhibit at Edinburgh’s Festival of the Erotic Arts; perform at Belladrum festival with her degree show piece: Aching to Pupate and was shortlisted for the Jill Todd photography prize. Read Less

My practice is predominantly an exploration into sexuality, feminism and gender. Within these broad terms, I have explored themes in control, limitation and the intricate nature of human interaction, whilst focusing on the human body; the female form; self-pleasure and desire.

I find my practice to be an open and fluid matrix or discourse and experience. To me, there is no differentiation between what I create and myself. I work openly and honestly and stand by my beliefs through living them. I identify as genderqueer and believe gender is an arbitrary and unnecessary limitation on human potential. To label can be reductive, my aim is to transcend language limitations in order to produce art that can accurately discuss the themes of trans-genderism without labels.

It is important for me to emphasise that gender inequality still exists. The majority of my practice aims to expose this through education and discourse; however, I also strive to provide the audience with a base visceral emotion to my work that comes before the language of reason. Each image certainly stands alone for its own reason and purpose but then comes together intrinsically by that very nature and like all art; it is open for interpretation and further discussion and this is my true aim within my practice. Read Less

CURRENTLY:

Artist/graduate in residence at Gray's School or Art, Aberdeen. Sept 2012 - Sept 2013.

Caretaker at Project Slogan Art Gallery, Aberdeen. Oct 2012 - Sept 2013


UPCOMING:

Free Love & other queer stories screening, Date TBA, Project Slogan, Aberdeen.

RSA: New Contemporaries. selected artist. Royal Scottish Academy
Edinburgh. April-May 2013


EDUCATION:

First Class BA (hons) Fine Art Photographic & Electronic Media.
Grays School of Art, Aberdeen. 2009 - 2012

HND Professional Photography and Imaging. Aberdeen College. 2007 - 2009


AWARDS & FEATURES:

BP Fine Art Prize, Gray's School of Art degree show 2012, Aberdeen(short listed)

2011 Caram Trust Award (winner)

Featured Artist. The List Magazine. Feb 2011

Featured Artist. Central Station. Jan 2011

2010 Caram Trust Award (winner)


RESIDENCIES

Artist in Residence (collaborative project with SketchBox). Limousine Bull, Aberdeen. Aug 2011 - Mar 2012

Artist in Residence. Scottish Sculpture Workshops, Lumsden. April 2011



EXHIBITIONS & EVENTS:

Belladrum Festival 2012. Selected performance artist. Beauly. August 2012

Festival of the Erotic Arts. Selected artist. White Space, Edinburgh. June 2012

Degree show. Grays School of Art, Aberdeen. June 2012

Save the Bull - A4 Exhibit. Limousine Bull, Aberdeen. May 2012

Project Slogan consortium opening. Project Slogan, Aberdeen. April 2012

!WAR !Women Art revolution. Performance and Q&A.
The Belmont PictureHouse, Aberdeen. March 2012

Free Love Preview Night, Screening & curation. Project Slogan, Aberdeen. March 2012

PEM4 Pre-Degree Show, Group Show and Performance. Limousine Bull,
Aberdeen. November 2011

GayWise Festival, Group Show. Dreamspace Gallery, London. November 2011

Aberdeen Alternative Pride Art Exhibition, Group Show & curation. Aberdeen Arts Centre, Aberdeen. August 2011

Nothing to See Hear, Group show. The Pier, Aberdeen. January 2011

Everybody Needs Someone To Know Who They Really Are. Solo Show. Grays School Of Art, Aberdeen. Dec 2010

Aberdeen College final year show. Aberdeen College. June 2009 Read Less