ABOUT THE ARTIST
BIOGRAPHY
ARTIST
Siobhan McLaughlin (b.1994) is an artist and curator based in Glasgow. She graduated with First Class MA (Hons) in Fine Art at Edinburgh University in 2019 and has since been awarded the SSA Wilhelmina Barns-Graham Award at the Royal Scottish Academy and a film commission from the Tate’s British Art Network. In 2022, Siobhan was awarded an RSA Residencies for Scotland at Cromarty Arts Trust, the Black Isle, and a Visual Art Scotland Cornwall Exchange Residency Newlyn, Cornwall.
CURATOR
As well as exhibiting regularly, she was Arts Editor and Researcher for a publication of W Gordon and Jay Smith's Scottish art collection and curated a major private collections exhibition at Dovecot Studios for the centenary of Scottish artist Alan Davie. Alan Davie: Beginning of a far-off World was held at Dovecot Studios, Edinburgh 24th June - 24th September 2022. In July 2023, her project Scottish Landscapes: A New Generation opened at Dovecot Studios, more info here.
Alongside exhibition tours and talks, Siobhan has produced an engagement programme for the duration of the exhibition. This has included workshops with WHALE Arts, The Rippled Project and SCORE Scotland.
ARTIST STATEMENT
My practice combines personal experience with compositional devices, such as sewing alternative materials, to create abstract-landscape paintings. I've been sewing remnant materials to form the base of my paintings since 2016, and am continually fascinated by the interactions between paint and material.
Recent works have evolved from sketches of Ben MacDui whilst on residency in the Cairngorms, Scotland, following a walk from Nan Shepherd’s book The Living Mountain. Through the sensory experience of walking, translated into the physicality of large-scale painting, I process ideas of place, ecology, memory, celebration and vulnerability.
Walking in the landscape, I sketch to gather different forms and a particular spectrum of colours for my paintings, affected by light, weather and time. Taking natural colourings of the land out of their original context, the abstract forms elevate each colour: a speck of heather becomes a bulbous form of unusual purple, or semi-transparent yellow of lichen radiates across the canvas. Weaving together remnant materials with layers of paint creates underlying rhythms and currents. Some works are detached from the stretcher, with materials left in their raw state. Frayed edges and loose threads expose the construction of the painting for the viewer to contemplate the process of labour, creation and celebration of material.
SELECTED CV
AWARDS
2023
Stephen Palmer Travel Award.
Selected for the Paul Mellon Centre for British Art Trade Forum.
Henderson Bursary, Pittenweem Arts Festival.
2022
From One to Another, Cornwall Exchange Residency, Visual Art Scotland in partnership with Wilhelmina Barns-Graham Trust, Marchmont House and the Borlase Smart John Wells Trust. Joint recipient with Clare Wardman.
RSA Residencies for Scotland Award - Cromarty Arts Trust.
2021
Shortlisted for the 2022 Gilchrist-Fisher Award.
Selected for Hospitalfield Graduate Residency Programme.
Shortlisted for Visual Arts Scotland Bothy Project Award.
2020
Landscape in Lockdown Commission, British Art Network, Tate Modern and Paul Mellon Centre.
Selected for the 2020 Emerging Curators Group, British Art Network, Tate Modern and Paul Mellon Centre.
2019
Wilhelmina Barns-Graham Award for work of merit, Wilhelmina Barns-Graham Trust, Visual Arts Scotland and Society of Scottish Artists at RSA, Edinburgh.
Huntley MacDonald Sinclair Prize for Best Dissertation, Edinburgh University.
Helen A Rose Bequest for distinquished work, Edinburgh University.
2018
Research grant to visit Conservation dept. at the Pompidou Centre, Paris, to analyse Sonia Delauany painting, History of Art Department, Edinburgh University.
Astaire Art Prize, 2nd Place, Edinburgh College of Art.
EXHIBITION HISTORY
For images see EXHIBITIONS page
2023
SSA 125th Annual Exhibition, Maclurin Gallery, Ayr.
Elemental, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh. 23rd June - 24th July
Coast to Coast, 108 Fine Art, Harrogate.
24th June - 4th August
Scottish Landscapes: A New Generation, Dovecot Studios, Edinburgh.
1st July - 7th October
TEXTUS, Torriano Meeting House, London. 8th July - 3rd September
Sennen Summer Fayre, Cornwall. 20th - 23rd July
VAS Spring Showcase, The Briggait, Glasgow.
Society of Scottish Artists Annual Exhibition, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh.
2022
A Wee Gathering, Anchor Studios and Jupiter Gallery, Newlyn, Cornwall.
50x£50, The Auction Collective, Online auction closes 23rd November 2022. https://theauctioncollective.com/auctions/50-x-50-2022/the-lairig-ghru-mountain-pass-14/
HERE: Between you and the World, POP Griffiths Gallery, Brisbane, Australia.
Battersea Affordable Art Fair, Rebecca Hossack Gallery stand, London.
Gilchrist Fisher Award, the Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London.
On Paper, PAPER Gallery, Manchester.
Reverb, Visual Arts Scotland Annual Exhibition, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh.
2021
No Arrow of Time, Box Hub, Glasgow.
123rd Annual Exhibition, Society of Scottish Artists, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh. 1st-23rd November.
Euphoric, Joséphine May Bailey online. 13th September-13th October.
On Paper, Class Room, Coventry. PV 25th September.
Abstract Zeitgeist, Rafiki Gallery at the Biscuit Factory, Edinburgh. PV 10th September.
Summer Show, Lemond Gallery, Glasgow.
Re:Connect, Society of Scottish Artists, digital show.
Modern Show, Lemond Gallery, Glasgow.
Group Show, Shrine NYC digital show, New York.
2020
Landscape in Lockdown, Lemond Gallery, Glasgow
Exercise Three, Arusha Gallery, Edinburgh
Transformations, Espacio Gallery, Bethnal Green, London
2019
OPEN SSA+VAS, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh
July Exhibition, Arusha Gallery, Edinburgh
Drawn Threads, Rogart Street Studios, Glasgow
Degree Show 2019, Edinburgh College of Art
All, Entire, Whole, New Glasgow Society, Glasgow
2018
Sightseers, curator Bob Gelsthorpe, G39 Gallery, Cardiff
THE SALON, curator, EMBASSY Gallery, Edinburgh
Astaire Art Prize, Fire Station, Edinburgh College of Art, Edinburgh
Muriel, Mural Room, Edinburgh College of Art, Edinburgh
Cured Meat, Fire Station, Edinburgh College of Art, Edinburgh
Other Faces 2, St Cecilia's Hall, Edinburgh
2017
Summer Show, Flat Seven, Edinburgh
Common Threads, The Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow
Rhythms, Degree Show, Edinburgh College of Art, Edinburgh
Running Up That Hill, St. Margaret’s House, Edinburgh
Genius Loci, City Art Centre, Edinburgh
2016
PAINTING! PAINTING!, Tent Gallery, Edinburgh
Hohe Nacht der klaren Sterne, The Pig Rock Bothy, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh
Marie Curie, The Glasgow Art Club, Glasgow
2015
Art Tasting, Space Club, Edinburgh
Washed Up, Matthew Gallery, Edinburgh
2014
Fresh Meat, Edinburgh College of Art, Edinburgh
2013
Under the Trap Door, Studio 21, The Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow
COLLECTIONS
Zembla Gallery, Hawick, Scotland.
SD Business Management Art Collection, Glasgow.
New Ways Charity Art Collection, London.
Several private collections in Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, Spain and Australia.
SELECTED WORK AND PLACEMENTS
2023
Freelancer Curator, Scottish Landscapes: A New Generation, Dovecot Studios, Edinburgh.
Guest tutor for final year Painting students, Edinburgh College of Art and the University of Edinburgh.
2022
Guest Lecturer, Edinburgh College of Art and the University of Edinburgh.
2021
Emerging Curators Group member, British Art Network, Tate.
Freelance Curator of Alan Davie Centenary Exhibition, Dovecot Studios, Edinburgh.
2020
Arts Editor of W. Gordon Smith Art Collection Publication, Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh. Published January 2021.
Museum Internship at the Peggy Guggenheim Museum, Venice- postponed due to Covid-19.
Dec 2018
Research experience in Conservation Department, Centre Pompidou, Paris.
Jan-May 2018
Committee Member, EMBASSY, Edinburgh.
Nov 2017
Gallery Assistant, Stephen Chambers: The Court of Redonda, Venice.
Oct 2017
Gallery Assistant, Sotheby’s Scottish Art Sale, Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh.
August 2017
Gallery Assistant, Scotland + Venice, Biennale di Venezia.
May 2016-July 2019
Supervisor and Gallery Assistant, Talbot Rice Gallery and The University of Edinburgh.
EDUCATION
2014-2019
Edinburgh University & Edinburgh College of Art. First Class MA (Hons) Fine Art with History of Art, Specialising in Painting.
2013-14
Tramway Visual Art Studio. Portfolio Preparation
2012-13
Glasgow School of Art. Portfolio Preparation
SELECTED PROFILES
2020
Sotheybs Intitute Magazine Interview
2019
The List, Review of SSA | VAS Open 2019 .
Barns-Graham Trust, The SSA Wilhelmina Barns-Graham Award.
Degree Show, Edinburgh College of Art.
The Huntley MacDonald Sinclair Prize.
2018
2017
Scotland + Venice Professional Development Programme.
MEMBERSHIP
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