Dr Catherine Grant

Catherine Grant's research is divided into two areas, with the first considering the representation of adolescence in photographic portraiture, and the second exploring the re-enactment of histories of feminism in contemporary art. Joining these areas are her interests in psychoanalytic theories of identity and sexuality, the intersection between feminist and queer theory, the depiction of the subject within postmodernism, and issues of performativity and performance.

She has recently co-edited a special issue of Art History on "Creative Writing and Art History" (April 2011) and a collection of essays on girlhood in contemporary art entitled Girls! Girls! Girls! in contemporary art (2011). She has also published an essay on being a 'fan of feminism' in the Oxford Art Journal (June 2011). Further details are on her publications page.

Academic qualifications

PhD (2007, Courtauld, University of London), MA (1999, Courtauld, University of London), BA (1997, University of Reading)

Teaching

Co-convenor (with Susan Kelly) of BA Fine Art and Art History

BA 'Introduction to Art History'

MA Special Subject, 'Reading the Performative'

Presentations and exhibitions

“Baby Butches and Reluctant Lolitas: Performances of Adolescence”, lecture for Open University Study Day on Performance, Gender and Identity, Tate Modern, 2005.

http://www.tate.org.uk/learning/studydays/performance_gender_identity/session6.htm

Conferences

Co-organiser of the series of seminars, symposia and public lectures "Writing Art History", Courtauld Institute of Art, 2007-2009.

Organiser of the conference “Colour Photography: From Autochrome to Cibachrome” November 2007, Courtauld Institute of Art. Speakers included: Pamela Roberts, JB Colson, Harriet Riches, Anne Hammond.

Co-organiser of the conference “Theory as an Object”, November 2003, Courtauld Institute of Art, exploring the legacy of psychoanalysis and poststructuralism in art history. Speakers included: Juliet Mitchell, Mary Kelly, Liam Gillick and Peter Hallward. Co-organised with Sarah James.

Research interests

Contemporary art, feminist art histories, American postmodernism,  intersections between queer theory and feminism, performativity and performance, the photograph as art, amateur and institutional nineteenth century photography, photographic portraiture, surrealism

Selected publications

Girls! Girls! Girls! in contemporary art, co-edited with Lori Waxman. Co-author of Introduction and author of “Baby Butches and Reluctant Lolitas: Collier Schorr and Hellen van Meene”, Bristol: Intellect Press, Spring 2011. http://www.intellectbooks.co.uk/books/view-Book,id=4767/

Special issue of Art History, “Creative Writing and Art History”, co-edited with Patricia Rubin, author of Introduction, April 2011

Selected articles

“Fans of Feminism: re-writing histories of second-wave feminism in contemporary art”, Oxford Art Journal, June 2011

“The Performance Space of the Photograph: From the Anti-Photographers to the Directorial Mode”, rebus: journal of postgraduate research, University of Essex, July 2010. Available online: http://www.essex.ac.uk/arthistory/rebus/issue5.htm

 “Bellmer’s Legs: adolescent pornography and uncanny eroticism in the photographs of Hans Bellmer and Anna Gaskell”, Papers of Surrealism, issue 8, Legacies of Surrealism Project, University of Manchester, June 2010. Available online: http://www.surrealismcentre.ac.uk/papersofsurrealism/index.html

 “Reaching for the Moon: replaying feminist art and activism”, The Moon, catalogue accompanying a performance at Tate Modern, June 2009, organised by Oriana Fox. See www.orianafox.com

“Spiritual America”, response to Charlie White’s essay on adolescence in art, Words Without Pictures, Los Angeles, LACMA, 2009; second edition New York and London: Aperture and Thames and Hudson, 2010 

 “Interview with Hal Foster”, Immediations: The Courtauld Postgraduate Journal, 2008

“Lisa Castagner”, In Our World: New Photography in Britain, Filippo Maggia ed., Milan: Skira, 2008

“The Uncertain Spectator: theories of female spectatorship and the work of Anna Gaskell”, Feminism Reframed, Alexandra Kokoli ed., Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Press, 2008

“Private Performances: The importance of the photographic document”, Performance Research, March 2002

“Performativity: Collier Schorr, Anna Gaskell, Sarah Jones”, n.paradoxa, vol. 6, July 2000