Clare Bottomley is an artist and academic exploring individual’s
autonomy in the act of looking. Her aims to challenge to the established
authority of visuality and is set against the current essentialist forms of
representation that prevail in visual culture (socially and politically),
advocating for a more subjective, anti-essentialist viewpoint.
Originally from Gloucester UK, background is in documentary photography before studying her MA at the Royal College of Art, which led her to develop a research interest in hybrid documentary methods and self-representation.
Clare often makes visual reference to art history within her projects seeking to rewrite western narrative conventions through re-enactment and performativity. Clare’s experience in creative educations and research into critical pedagogy has led to collaboration playing an important role within her practice, which utilises collective approaches encompassing photography, video, and participatory workshops, when working closely with communities affected by social inequalities.
Education
2011-13 MA Photography, Royal College of Art, London
2005-08 BA(Hons) Documentary Photography, University of Wales, Newport
Selected Exhibitions
2021 The Ruth Borchard Collection, Self-Portrait Prize 2021, Online
2020 Media Futures – Goldsmiths University, Online
2018 The Collective Pilgrimage, Mission Gallery The Screen, Swansea
2017 November –Nasty Women exhibition, Creative Debut London
2015 Revisiting the Body, New Boon(e) Gallery, Philadelphia
2014 Robbins and Roberts present- Stroud Valley Artspace, Gloucestershire.
2014 Ultra-Feminism, Roodkapje, Rotterdam
2013 Today, See, Beom-eo Art Street Gallery, Daegu, South Korea
Screenings
2019 Barbican, Modern Couples, Headway East London Film and Video Club Installation
2018 Lates, Science Museum, London Headway East London Film and Video Club Installation
2017 Together! 2017 Disability Film Festival, HEL Film and Video Club
2016 Les Recontres Internationales Film and Video Festival, La Gaite Lyrique, Paris
2016 Everybody Says it’s all in Your Head, Horse Hospital Gallery London
2015 Everybody Says it’s all in Your Head, Filmpro Studio, London
2015 Everybody Says it’s all in Your Head, Sunday Screening, London
Publications
2020 I’m Not Angry, I’m Sad - A Text for Roxana Savin’s - I’ll be late tonight
2016 White Review issues II
2013 Art Mag Issuse 3
2013 Waving Flags, Edited by Rut Bless Luxemberg, Black Dog Publishing.
Collections
Royal College of Art
Residencies
2018-19 Headway East London Artist in Residency
2008-09 PhotoGlobal Artist Residencies, School of Visual Arts, New York.
Awards and Funding
2021 The Hub Award, Wellcome Collection, Headway East London affiliated artist, second round
2019 Project Grant - Higher Education Funding Council for Wales
2013 The Deutsche Bank Award for Creative Enterprise
2012 The Royal College of Art Fine art Bursary.
2009 ITS EIGHT SVA PhotoGlobal Award.
2008 ITS EIGHT PHOTOWEB Winner.
2008 Leading Graduate, Fotohof Salzburg
Conferences and Talking
2021 Activisms Week – Queer Collaborations, University of Wales Trinity Saint Davids
2020 The Embodied Gaze Workshop and seminar, Pratt Institute, New York
2020 The Past and the Future of Photographic Representation: Re-framing Jo Spence and Rose Martin (Organiser) Goldsmiths University of London
2019 Feminisms and The Bible Symposium, Birkbeck College London
2017 Labours Of Love, Art Work, Care Work peer mentoring group, Cubitt Gallery
2017 Kids Museums Conference ‘How to best welcome families with Autism into a cultural space.’ Cardiff Story
2016 Gender Generation – The creative process in art and design, RCA
Professional Teaching Membership and Qualifications
2019-20 Post Graduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCHE) – Falmouth University
2018 Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
Teaching
2020 –Current –Lecturer Photography/Module Leader–Falmouth University (Online)
2018 - 2020 –Photography Area Leader, Media Communication and Cultural Studies Goldsmith, University of London
2017 – 2018 - Lecturer Photography - University of Wales, Trinity Saint David
2014-2017 - Lecturer Photography and Moving Image North West Kent College, Foundation Degree and BA Top Up, Awarded by University of Greenwich.
2011-2014 – Lecturer in Photography and Moving image – South Gloucestershire and South College
2010-2012 – Youth Worker and Media Co-coordinator –Wandsworth Youth Service
Originally from Gloucester UK, background is in documentary photography before studying her MA at the Royal College of Art, which led her to develop a research interest in hybrid documentary methods and self-representation.
Clare often makes visual reference to art history within her projects seeking to rewrite western narrative conventions through re-enactment and performativity. Clare’s experience in creative educations and research into critical pedagogy has led to collaboration playing an important role within her practice, which utilises collective approaches encompassing photography, video, and participatory workshops, when working closely with communities affected by social inequalities.
Education
2011-13 MA Photography, Royal College of Art, London
2005-08 BA(Hons) Documentary Photography, University of Wales, Newport
Selected Exhibitions
2021 The Ruth Borchard Collection, Self-Portrait Prize 2021, Online
2020 Media Futures – Goldsmiths University, Online
2018 The Collective Pilgrimage, Mission Gallery The Screen, Swansea
2017 November –Nasty Women exhibition, Creative Debut London
2015 Revisiting the Body, New Boon(e) Gallery, Philadelphia
2014 Robbins and Roberts present- Stroud Valley Artspace, Gloucestershire.
2014 Ultra-Feminism, Roodkapje, Rotterdam
2013 Today, See, Beom-eo Art Street Gallery, Daegu, South Korea
Screenings
2019 Barbican, Modern Couples, Headway East London Film and Video Club Installation
2018 Lates, Science Museum, London Headway East London Film and Video Club Installation
2017 Together! 2017 Disability Film Festival, HEL Film and Video Club
2016 Les Recontres Internationales Film and Video Festival, La Gaite Lyrique, Paris
2016 Everybody Says it’s all in Your Head, Horse Hospital Gallery London
2015 Everybody Says it’s all in Your Head, Filmpro Studio, London
2015 Everybody Says it’s all in Your Head, Sunday Screening, London
Publications
2020 I’m Not Angry, I’m Sad - A Text for Roxana Savin’s - I’ll be late tonight
2016 White Review issues II
2013 Art Mag Issuse 3
2013 Waving Flags, Edited by Rut Bless Luxemberg, Black Dog Publishing.
Collections
Royal College of Art
Residencies
2018-19 Headway East London Artist in Residency
2008-09 PhotoGlobal Artist Residencies, School of Visual Arts, New York.
Awards and Funding
2021 The Hub Award, Wellcome Collection, Headway East London affiliated artist, second round
2019 Project Grant - Higher Education Funding Council for Wales
2013 The Deutsche Bank Award for Creative Enterprise
2012 The Royal College of Art Fine art Bursary.
2009 ITS EIGHT SVA PhotoGlobal Award.
2008 ITS EIGHT PHOTOWEB Winner.
2008 Leading Graduate, Fotohof Salzburg
Conferences and Talking
2021 Activisms Week – Queer Collaborations, University of Wales Trinity Saint Davids
2020 The Embodied Gaze Workshop and seminar, Pratt Institute, New York
2020 The Past and the Future of Photographic Representation: Re-framing Jo Spence and Rose Martin (Organiser) Goldsmiths University of London
2019 Feminisms and The Bible Symposium, Birkbeck College London
2017 Labours Of Love, Art Work, Care Work peer mentoring group, Cubitt Gallery
2017 Kids Museums Conference ‘How to best welcome families with Autism into a cultural space.’ Cardiff Story
2016 Gender Generation – The creative process in art and design, RCA
Professional Teaching Membership and Qualifications
2019-20 Post Graduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCHE) – Falmouth University
2018 Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
Teaching
2020 –Current –Lecturer Photography/Module Leader–Falmouth University (Online)
2018 - 2020 –Photography Area Leader, Media Communication and Cultural Studies Goldsmith, University of London
2017 – 2018 - Lecturer Photography - University of Wales, Trinity Saint David
2014-2017 - Lecturer Photography and Moving Image North West Kent College, Foundation Degree and BA Top Up, Awarded by University of Greenwich.
2011-2014 – Lecturer in Photography and Moving image – South Gloucestershire and South College
2010-2012 – Youth Worker and Media Co-coordinator –Wandsworth Youth Service