'Maybe the target nowadays is not to discover what we are, but to refuse what we are.' Michel Foucault
A graduate of the Royal College of Art, Jo Longhurst was awarded the National Media Museum Photography Award for her works with the British show Whippet - a dog bred to an ideal standard. The project focuses particularly on the evolution of the visual image of the Whippet, and the construction of human identity through the shaping of the figure of the dog.
For her photography award Longhurst turned her attention to the subject of elite Chinese Gymnasts to create the series Perfect. Her work interrogates the process of training, documenting the emotional experience of the athletes and their coaches in the quest for perfection. The artist notes:
I also hope that this new body of work will exceed its specific subject matter: I intend this to be an exploration of physicality, liberation, pleasure, and achievement; failure, exhaustion, and despair: a further probing of lens-based media and the human condition.
Longhurst has shown at the Pavilion in Leeds, at the European Academy for the Arts, London, and recently at the Kunsthalle zu Kiel among others. Her work can also be found in the BMI collection, the Hiscox Art collection, the UBS collection, and the Museum Folkwang.
Education:
2012
Leverhulme Fellow, European Centre for Photographic Research, University of Wales, Newport
2008
PhD by practice, Fine Art, Photography, Royal College of Art, London
1984
BA Honours, Russian with Politics, University of Leeds
Selected Solo Exhibitions:
2008
Twelve dogs, twelve bitches, Pavilion, Leeds
The Refusal, Museum Folkwang, Essen, Germany
Jo Longhurst / PhD by Practice, RCA, London
2006
Descent, MAC, Birmingham
2005
Breed, Studio 1.1, London
2000
Feast, European Academy for the Arts, London
Elephant & Castle Families 1994/2000, Museum of London, London
Selected Group Exhibitions:
2010
Update.UK: Photography in Britain after 2000, Photomonth in Krakow
In an Ideal World, Frederico Camara in dialogue with Jo Longhurst, Pavilion, Leeds
The Refusal, Art Projects, London Art Fair, with Pavilion
Exposure: Exhibition of National Media Museum Bursary Winners, James Hyman Photography, London
2009
Cocker Spaniel and Other Tools for International Understanding, Kunsthalle zu Kiel,
Ursula Blickle Foundation, Kraichtal-Unterowisheim
The Visual in Sport, conference, University of Bristol
Photography Auction for Multiple Sclerosis Research, Christies, Paris
London Photography Auction, Phillips de Pury & Company
Becoming Animal, Becoming Human, New Society for Visual Arts (NGBK), Berlin
Becoming Animal, Becoming Human and Animal Perspectives Symposium, in conjunction with Georg-Kolbe Museum, Berlin
Glasgow Art Fair: Talking Art, On Photography: Photography as a Collectable Art Form II, Pavilion and Street Level Photoworks
2008
The Animal Gaze, Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery; Unit 2 Gallery, Whitechapel
The Animal Gaze Symposium, London
Bloomberg New Contemporaries, Liverpool Biennial of Contemporary Art
A Foundation, Rochelle School, London
New Works: Pavilion Commissions 2008, National Media Museum, Bradford
Summer Show, Hoopers Gallery, London
Anticipation, Ultralounge, Selfridges, London
SHOW RCA, Royal College of Art, London
Phantasma, Ballhaus/Nordpark, Düsseldorf
Parade, [projections & real-time video], Shunt Vaults, London
2007
The People's Playground, shortlisted proposal for the regeneration of The Golden Mile, Blackpool, England; with Victor Burgin, Gensler, & MIT Media Laboratory
To the Dogs, Presentation House Gallery, Vancouver, Canada
Anticipation: the best of London's emerging artists, One One One, London
2006
Too Dark in the Park, Café Gallery Projects, London
Nützlich, süund museal / das fotografierte Tier (The photographed animal / useful, cute and collected), Museum Folkwang, Essen
2005
Future Face, National Museum of Natural Science, Taipei, Taiwan
Twelve dogs, twelve bitches, Discovery Award nominee, Rencontres d'Arles
Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy of Arts, London
Future Face, Wellcome Gallery, Science Museum, London
2004
Weeds, Hiscox Artprojects, London
2003
Ausl, Dahl Gallery of Contemporary Art
Essen Arts Festival, screening, Essen
T/Reason, symposium and screening, Serpentine Pavilion, London
Treason, Café Gallery Projects, London
2002
Longhurst, Playford, Summers, Whitehall, Hockney Gallery, London
Publications:
2010
Photomonth in Krakow 2010, Municipality of Krakow & Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, Limited edition print with book criticaldictionaryeditions
2009
Cocker Spaniel and Other Tools for International Understanding, Kunsthalle zu Kiel & Ursula Blickle Foundation, Dumont
Selected Acquisitions, Hiscox Contemporary Art Collection
Meat Magazine: Issue 8, Birds & Beasts
Becoming Animal, Becoming Human, New Society for Visual Arts (NGBK) Sighthound, text by Jessica Ullrich
2008
Husmee 08, The Refusal Project - Jo Longhurst, Donostia-San Sebasti
Bloomberg New Contemporaries 2008, London
Archive 13, New Works: Pavilion Commissions 2008, Greg Hobson, National Media Museum,
The Refusal, Jo Longhurst, Steidl, April
Royal College of Art Photography 2008, RCA London
2007
To the Dogs, Presentation House Gallery, Vancouver, 2007
Research RCA, Royal College of Art, London
Selected Acquisitions, Hiscox Contemporary Art Collection
Sehen Zeigen, Steidl Verlag
2006
Future Face, Sandra Kemp, National Science & Technology Museum, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
2005
The photographed animal / useful, cute and collected, Steidl
Portfolio: Contemporary Photography in Britain, Issue 41
Photography Arles 2005, Actes Sud
2004
Future Face: Image, identity, innovation, Sandra Kemp, Profile Books, London
Weeds, Hiscox Artprojects
2003
Ausl, Dahl Gallery of Contemporary Art
Selected Collections:
BMI Collection
Hiscox Art Collection
Museum Folkwang
Pavilion
UBS