Artist based in London, UK
Bio
Sophie Cunningham (b. 1992, West Midlands, UK) graduated from BA Fine Art Photography at Glasgow School of Art in 2015 and was later awarded the Royal Scottish Academy John Kinross Scholarship. Her work has been shown internationally, including the Pingyao International Photography Festival in China (2015) and participated in the Hospitalfield Interdisciplinary Residency (2018) in Arbroath, Scotland. She is currently studying MFA Fine Art at Goldsmiths, University of London.
Work
Cunningham makes work that plays on the mechanisms of contemporary consumer culture, which is, more and more, sustained by the internet and social media. Cunningham orders quantities of fast fashion items online then uses these to stage durational sculptures. The work finishes when Cunningham returns the clothes to the online retailer within the return period. This mischievous strategy questions the economics of being an artist, as well as an online shopper.
Photography is central to Cunningham’s practice, as a means to record these temporary sculptures, and through using commercial photography as a source material. Cunningham reworks and subverts images of clothing that is highly desirable, but also highly reproduced and disposable with processes such as screen-printing and collage.
Selected Group Exhibitions
Ways & Means, Skelf virtual project space, (online) skelf.org.uk, 22 July – 20 October 2020
Goldsmiths MFA Open Studios, 2 Deptford Church Street, London, 13 - 14 March 2020 (Cancelled due to COVID-19) Installation available to view: sophiecunninghamartist.com
INTER(TWINE), Supernormal Gallery, 101 Desker Rd, Singapore, 2 February 2018
Beyond The Camera, Pingyao International Photography Festival, China, 19 - 25 September 2015
Glasgow School of Art Degree Show, Tontine Building, Merchant City, Glasgow, 13 - 20 June 2015
The Night Fair: Sophie Cunningham, Blobby Depp and Daisy McManaman, SWG3 Arts Space, Stobcross Road, Glasgow, 28 September 2014
So Far So Good, WASPS Studios, Hanson Street, Glasgow, 24 - 30 April 2014
GARDEN, Collaborative Show with Sebastian Mary Tay, Studio 41, West Graham Street, Glasgow, 2- 7 June 2013
Distill, Glasgow School of Art, 250 Renfrew Street, Glasgow, 4 - 8 February 2013
Solo Exhibitions
PIN UP, 78 Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Sponsored by Lush Cosmetics, 19 - 21 September 2014
The Flood, The Grace and Clark Fyffe Gallery, Glasgow, 20 - 22 November 2016
Parade, Curated Performance, Kevingrove Park, Glasgow, 4 May 2015
Curated Exhibitions
Strange Lands, Group Show, Shotgun Studios, London, 15 September - 13 October 2017
Awards & Residencies
Hospitalfield
Interdisciplinary Residency, Arbroath, Scotland
May 2018
Royal Scottish Academy
John Kinross Scholarship, Florence, Italy
October 2015
Education
Goldsmiths, University of London MFA Fine Art, 2019 - 2021
Glasgow School Of Art, BA (First Class Honours) Fine Art Photography, 2011 – 2015
Loughborough University, Art and Design Foundation (Distinction) 2010 – 2011