Wendy McMurdo
Encyclopedia
Wendy McMurdo is a British
artist who specialises in photography
and digital media
. She attended Edinburgh College of Art
, Goldsmiths, University of London and Pratt Institute
in Brooklyn
, New York
where she first became interested in photography.
Her first one-person show In a Shaded Place – the digital and the uncanny was toured extensively by The British Council
in the mid-90s. Her subsequent exhibition at the Centro de Fotografia Universidad de Salamanca in 1998 resulted in the publication of the first monograph on her work. She has been included in numerous group shows, including Unheimlich, curated by Urs Stahel at the Fotomuseum Winterthur in Switzerland, Scanner, curated by Lawrence Rinder
at the CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts
, San Francisco, California, The Anagrammatical Body – The Body and its Photographic Condition at the Neue Galerie Graz am Landesmuseum Joanneum
in Graz, Austria, and Only Make Believe – Ways of Playing, curated by Marina Warner at Compton Verney
, UK.
Her work has been commissioned by The Science Museum
in London and The Scottish National Portrait Gallery
in Edinburgh, and is in a number of collections including that of the Fotomuseum Winterthur, The British Council, agnès b, Mario Testino
, the National Galleries of Scotland
, and most recently Seattle's Henry Art Gallery
, WA USA.
A recent project The Skater explored the relationship between adolescence, gaming and virtual environments, and was published in 2009 by Ffotogallery, Wales, UK.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
artist who specialises in photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
and digital media
Digital media
Digital media is a form of electronic media where data is stored in digital form. It can refer to the technical aspect of storage and transmission Digital media is a form of electronic media where data is stored in digital (as opposed to analog) form. It can refer to the technical aspect of...
. She attended Edinburgh College of Art
Edinburgh College of Art
Edinburgh College of Art is an art school in Edinburgh, Scotland, providing tertiary education in art and design disciplines for over two thousand students....
, Goldsmiths, University of London and Pratt Institute
Pratt Institute
Pratt Institute is a private art college in New York City located in Brooklyn, New York, with satellite campuses in Manhattan and Utica. Pratt is one of the leading undergraduate art schools in the United States and offers programs in Architecture, Graphic Design, History of Art and Design,...
in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
where she first became interested in photography.
Career
Her work centres around the relationship between technology and identity and she has produced several influential bodies of work which explore this theme.Her first one-person show In a Shaded Place – the digital and the uncanny was toured extensively by The British Council
British Council
The British Council is a United Kingdom-based organisation specialising in international educational and cultural opportunities. It is registered as a charity both in England and Wales, and in Scotland...
in the mid-90s. Her subsequent exhibition at the Centro de Fotografia Universidad de Salamanca in 1998 resulted in the publication of the first monograph on her work. She has been included in numerous group shows, including Unheimlich, curated by Urs Stahel at the Fotomuseum Winterthur in Switzerland, Scanner, curated by Lawrence Rinder
Lawrence Rinder
Lawrence R. Rinder is the Director of Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive , a position to which he was appointed in 2008.Previously, he was the Dean of the College at the California College of the Arts in San Francisco...
at the CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts
Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts
The Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts is a contemporary art center in San Francisco, California, United States and part of the California College of the Arts....
, San Francisco, California, The Anagrammatical Body – The Body and its Photographic Condition at the Neue Galerie Graz am Landesmuseum Joanneum
Landesmuseum Joanneum
The Universalmuseum Joanneum is a multidisciplinary museum in Styria, Austria. It has galleries and collections in many subject areas including Archaeology, Geology, Palaeontology, Mineralogy, Botany, Zoology, History, Art and Folk Culture...
in Graz, Austria, and Only Make Believe – Ways of Playing, curated by Marina Warner at Compton Verney
Compton Verney
Compton Verney is a manor and parish in the county of Warwickshire, England.Compton Verney House is an 18th century country mansion which has been converted into an art gallery....
, UK.
Her work has been commissioned by The Science Museum
Science museum
A science museum or a science centre is a museum devoted primarily to science. Older science museums tended to concentrate on static displays of objects related to natural history, paleontology, geology, industry and industrial machinery, etc. Modern trends in museology have broadened the range of...
in London and The Scottish National Portrait Gallery
Scottish National Portrait Gallery
The Scottish National Portrait Gallery is an art gallery on Queen Street, Edinburgh, Scotland. It holds the national collections of portraits, all of which are of, but not necessarily by, Scots. In addition it also holds the Scottish National Photography Collection...
in Edinburgh, and is in a number of collections including that of the Fotomuseum Winterthur, The British Council, agnès b, Mario Testino
Mario Testino
-Early Life:Testino grew up in Lima, the eldest son of a businessman. When he was young he wanted to be a priest. Testino recalls being unpopular at school because of his flamboyance. He was good at math and went on to study economics at Universidad del Pacífico, where his insistence on wearing...
, the National Galleries of Scotland
National Galleries of Scotland
The National Galleries of Scotland are the five national galleries of Scotland and two partner galleries. It is one of the country's National Collections.-List of national galleries:* The National Gallery of Scotland* The Royal Scottish Academy Building...
, and most recently Seattle's Henry Art Gallery
Henry Art Gallery
The Henry Art Gallery is the art museum of the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington, USA. Located on the west edge of the university's campus along 15th Avenue N.E. in the University District, it was founded in 1927 and was the first public art museum in the state of Washington. The...
, WA USA.
A recent project The Skater explored the relationship between adolescence, gaming and virtual environments, and was published in 2009 by Ffotogallery, Wales, UK.
External links
- Wendy McMurdo – Official website with comprehensive listing of artworks and publications
- British Library Oral History Archive – Oral History of British Photography: Wendy McMurdo
- Photography-now – Recent exhibitions
- Helen, Backstage, Merlin Theatre, 1996
- Girl with Bears, Royal Museum of Edinburgh, 1999
- Solo Violinist, St Mary's School of Music, Edinburgh, 1999
- Avatar (i), 2009
