ABOUT
Susan began photographing in 2003. Her artistic expression was liberated by becoming ill with ME/CFS. This long term illness changed her view of life and what is important.
Susan now explores aspects of health, mortality and experience. Whenever possible she goes to explore the wonderful treasures on display in the many amazing museums in the country, and occasionally blogging about them.
Also considering the impact of long term ill health, and the insular isolation from society that it imposes, she considers life and death and what it means to her. She co-organised the Dying for Life event in Cambridge in May 2017, and spoke at the Death and the Maiden conference in July 2017, examining the depiction of human remains in art through the centuries.
She has been collaborating with other artists on handling skeletons, including Christopher Thom, Cally Thomas and Diane Groothuysen. Most recently, she organised another death event "Things to do when you're dead" for Dying for Life in Cambridge in May 2019. The most recent project was an exhibition and workshop at the Death, Dying and Disposal conference at the University of Bath in September 2019. And then Covid happened and cancelled everything for 2020 including the Dying for Life event, so she made a public art installation across Britain instead.
And now, many virtual conferences (and maybe some flesh ones) in 2021.
EXHIBITIONS
Borrowed Time Dartington Hall, Devon workshop Nov 2021
Death, Dying and Disposal ASDS, Manchester Metropolitan University Sept 2021
Human Mortality CDAS, University of Bath conference paper June 2021
Memento Mori coins Public Art Installation, across Britain Aug 2020 - ongoing
Death, Dying and Disposal ASDS, University of Bath workshop Sept 2019
Open Studios Cambridge City public engagement July 2019
Dying for Life Cambridge City Crematorium public event May 2019
Line drawings of skeletons The Book Warren, Willingham April - Oct 2019
SPILL Shared Frameworks Ipswich Art Gallery Oct-Nov 2018
Festival of the Mind University of Sheffield Sept 2018
Taboo Workers Gallery, Ynyshir, Wales June - August 2018
On Death, Esoterica Arts Banham Barrel, Norfolk May 2018
Skeletons, Stories and Social Bodies University of Southampton Mar 2018
Shape Open Annual Exhibition Art Pavilion, Mile End, London Mar-Apr 2018
RPS International Images for Science 2017 Touring exhibition across UK Sept 2017 - July 2018
ExperimentoBio 2017 A showcase of risky artistic proposals Sept 2017
Em-Re-Un Exhibition of the New Bohemia Aug 2017
Death and the Maiden An interdisciplinary conference exploring the
relationship between women and death July 2017
Dying for Life A festival of information, art, ideas and
conversation about death and dying May 2017
Dias de los Muertos Installation at the Museum of Archaeology
and Anthropology, Cambridge Oct 2016
Memory Nuffield Orthopedic Hospital, Oxford May-Jun 2015
SCC Annual Exhibition Memorial Hall, Swavesey Apr 2008-2015
Anglia Co-op Wildlife Calendar winners:
Marriott Hotel, Peterborough Oct 2013
EAF Annual Exhibition (presented with David Haigh award):
Gibberd Gallery, Civic Centre, Harlow May 2010
Fens thro a Lens (touring exhibition, venues included):
Cambridge Museum of Zoology Sep-Oct 2008
Wicken Fen Dec 2008
Haddenham Art Gallery Mar 2009
Alumni exhibition Lyttleton Room, Selwyn College Mar 2007
Lyttleton Room, Selwyn College Feb 2006
PUBLICATIONS and TALKS
Death, Dying and Disposal Handling, drawing and Sept 2019
photographing human skulls
Cambridge Rotary Club Talk for the Rotarians July 2019
Cambridge Independent Coverage of Dying for Life event April-May 2019
Cambridge Evening News
That's Cambridge! TV
Handling Death Guest blog post on Death Maidens April 2019
On Time: A SPILL Reader Images and essay for book Oct 2018
RPS International Images for Science 2017 Exhibition Catalogue Sept 2017
Afive magazine Industry focused artzine July 2017
Cambridge News Coverage of Dying for Life event May 2017
Open College of the Arts Blog Feb 2017
OCA Weekender Bulletin Open College of Arts Nov 2016
Action for M.E. magazine Action for M.E. Spring 2016
OCA Weekender Bulletin Open College of Arts June 2015
Runners’ World Hearst Magazines UK July 2014
Hunts post (various dates) Archant Herts and Cambs 2007-2010
Cambridge Evening News Cambridge Newspapers May 2009
BBC news website BBC Oct 2007
Practical Photography Bauer Media Group May 2006
Observer Guardian Media Group Oct 2005
PROFESSIONAL CONTACTS
Photography workshops Museum of Zoology, University of Cambridge 2019
Human skeleton documentation University of Cambridge Archaeology Department 2018, 2019
Rothwell Ossuary University of Sheffield / Festival of the Mind Oct 2018
Sedgwick Museum University of Cambridge Geology Museum Apr 2018
Virtual Museum University of Cambridge Anatomy Department Dec 2017
Death and the Maiden conference University of Winchester July 2017
Dying for Life exhibition University of Cambridge Anatomy Department May 2017
Addenbrooke's Hospital Brain and Tissue Bank
Dias de los Muertos Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Cambridge Oct 2016
Portfolio work Oxford University Museum of Natural History various
Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford
Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Cambridge
Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences, Cambridge
Blog posts Ipswich Museum and Gallery various
Museum of Zoology, Cambridge
Whipple Museum of the History of Science, Cambridge
The Duckworth Collection, LCHES, Cambridge