Bethany Murray

Bethany Murray comes from the tradition of women artists using their body in performance art. Her pieces are often staged photographs which can be seen as film stills. She uses both herself and other women in her performances.

Trained in Performance and Dance at Dartington College of Arts in Devon, UK her work began as a performer in film, dance and live art. Later she trained in photography, going on to study at Central St Martins where she developed her own photographic language.

Her work is cinematic and uses a process which is closer to the choreographic. Using juxtaposition through editing she creates fluid, changing narratives in which there is a return to the felt experience, to the body, and to a collective story.

Education

2007 MA Fine Art, Central Saint Martins School of Art, London, UK
Distinction. AHRC Scholar
2005 PG Cert Photography, Central Saint Martins School of Art, London, UK
1996 Choreography, Dance Diploma, London School of Contemporary Dance, UK
1995 BA Hons Performance, Dartington College of Arts, Devon, UK. 1st
1993 School for New Dance Development, Residency, Amsterdam
1991 St Martins School of Art, Foundation in Art

Permanent Collections

Tullie House Museum, Cumbria, UK. Contemporary collection
Krishnamurti Foundation of America, California
University Art Collection, London, UK
Office of Public Works, Ireland
Twin, Fairtrade Organisation, London, UK

Selected Exhibitions (2000–2017)

Krishnamurti Foundation of America, Rooted Presence, Ojai, California
Phillips de Pury, Now, Contemporary Photography, London, UK
Rayko Photo Center, Portraits, San Francisco, California
Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery, Picturing Places: Cumbrian Art, Cumbria, UK
Format International Photography Festival, PhotoCinema, Derby, UK
Es Baluard, Museum of Contemporary Art, Llunes w/Graciela Iturbide. Al-Liquindoi, Spain
Saatchi Online, Form Art Fair and Saatchi Mess, London, UK
Millenium Images, Crane Kalman Gallery, Brighton UK
Terre Verte, The Practice of the Wild, Cornwall, UK
Association of Photographers, 24 London, UK
Istanbul Art Fair (18th) Invited Artist w/Korridor Projects. London, UK
Royal College of Art, 20/21, London, UK
Affordable Art Fairs, London and New York
Dartington Performance Festival, Devon, UK
Mall Galleries, Discerning Eye, London, UK
Institute Monde D’Arabe. Tarantella, Paris, France

Publications

Photocinema: The Creative Edges of Photography and Film
Neil Campbell and Alfredo Cramerotti (eds) Intellect Books Bristol UK/Chicago USA First edition, 2013

Press

Sunday Times Magazine, Spectrum Issue, The Times, The Irish Times, Better Photography

Awards

Arts and Humanities Research Council Award. UK
Rayko Photo Center, California. Honors Award

Public Projects

Room 13 International. Artist in Residence and Co-ordinator, Tower Hamlets, East London
Photographer with Fairtrade Forum for international fairtrade farmers visit to UK
Art Project for THCRC, Tower Hamlets, an East London recycling organisation.

Auctions

Resurgence and Ecologist magazine, Bedales School Art and Design Building,
Feminism in London, Aubin Gallery, NGO Projects, Malawi, Africa.

Selected Performance Work (1996–9)

Kate Willis Dance Co: performed at Union Chapel, The Place, Jacksons Lane, Queen Elizabeth Hall
New Factory for the Eccentric Actor’ The Roundhouse, London NW1
‘On all other days’ Solo, video performance piece, The Place, London WC2
Member of performance collective, Theatre Palimpsest, ‘Skim’ commissioned by ‘Expo’ Nottingham
‘Waiting’ solo performance installation in Amsterdam and Plymouth Arts Centre
‘Tarantella’ exhibited as part of Mediteranee II, Institute de la Monde Arabe, Paris with Antonio Infantino
‘On Edge’ Dir. Frazer Lee with Charlie Boorman, Doug Bradley, Beth Murray. Screened Odeon Leicester Sq, Prince Charles

Context

Artists: Helena Almeida, Francesca Woodman, Ana Mendieta,
Sally Mann, Cindy Sherman, Sally Potter
Somatics: Emilie Conrad, Vanda Scaravelli, Pina Bausch
Writers: Helene Cixous, Alice Walker and Clarice Lispector

Acknowledgements

Performers:

Avoided Spaces
Adora Benoit, Barney Newman, Celina Teague, Marta Perez, Soltxu Pichel, Tariq Hussein

Sabine Women
Alessia Bellini, Audrey Tom, Carrie Tuke, Fiona Harding, Sarah Stirk, Tracy Northampton

Tarantella
Agostino Cortese, Antonio Infantino, Catherine Infantino, Franca Tarantino, Stefania Amato,Victoria Infantino

West Women
Belva Fay, Sarah Lee

Canyon
Shiva Rose

Escrito
Made with Al Liquindoi and Graciela Iturbide, Majorca

Portraits
Bi Kidude, Chico Ocana, Francesca Bristol and Agnes Wilhelmsen, Gretchen Anderson, Homai Vadawallya, Holaday Mason, Hattie Worboys, Isla Henderson, Joseph Murray, Olivia Reynolds, Robin Murray, Siddhartha Shah

Some who pressed the shutter

Frances Murray, Robin Murray, Jessica Murray, Jeremy Coleman, Simon Warren, passers-by

Production

Printers:

Bayeux, London, Genesis, London, Carlos Porro, Montevideo, Uruguay

Technical

Editors:

Padelis Frantzis, Belgium, Richard White, London

Framing

Simon Beaugie Picture Framing, Kent UK
Darbyshire Framers, London UK