Caroline Douglas is an artist working with photography. She is currently undertaking a PhD by practice at the Royal College of Art, researching the role of gender and class in early Scottish photography. In her practice she moves across photography, writing and creative archival research processes to work cross-historically, re-touching the archive, to recover and repair marginalised histories. This project has been supported with an AHRC-techne Scholarship.

In 2023 she was awarded the Royal Photographic Society Postgraduate Bursary, the Scottish History Society Alasdair Ross Prize and an award from the Society of Dyers and Colourists for her forthcoming research on Mary Somerville and early photography. In 2020 she was the recipient of the Paul Mellon Centre Andrew Wyld Research Support Grant for Retouching the Archive.

She works as a Lecturer in Fine Art - Photography at The Glasgow School of Art (2021-). Recently, she undertook two Doctoral Training Partnership placements, one at the V&A Museum as a Cataloguer (Photographs) and the other at Collective, Edinburgh (2021). She was recently awarded a Research Support Grant from the Royal College of Art to undertake archival research on Mary Somerville and her role in early photography (2022-).

She is part of The Glasgow School of Art School of Fine Art Research Network Feminist Histories of the Future and on the Advisory Board for the RSE Network Women Make Cities. In 2019 she co-organised Speaking With - a one-day event exploring voicing historical subjectivity at the Royal College of Art. She is a contributor to Photomonitor, and has worked as a tutor and lecturer at Edinburgh College of Art and Edinburgh Napier University. She teaches colour darkroom courses at Stills Centre for Photography in Edinburgh (2013 - ongoing).

 

She studied Photography at Edinburgh College of Art (2006) before then completing a Master in Fine Art at The Glasgow School of Art (2010). Her residencies include; Re:Create Stills Gallery, Edinburgh (2008), Photography MA, School of the Art Institute Chicago (2009), AiR Fondazione Fotografia, Modena, Italy (2010), Proekt Fabrika, Moscow (2011) and Facture of Research Residency (RCA/techne). In 2017, she was a Visiting Scholar at the University of St Andrews.

 

Caroline was the recipient of the 9th Helen Keller International Award for her work Playboy Entertainment for Men (2011). She worked with the Scottish National Portrait Gallery for An Attendant's Portrait (2015). She was represented by Stills Gallery at Edinburgh Art Fair and published in Uncertain States for her work Zero Hours Creativity (2015). This work was recognised with a Magenta Foundation Flash Forward Award (2016).

 

Selected exhibitions include; Galerie Huit, Rencontres d'Arles International Photography Festival, Stills Gallery, Edinburgh, Columbia University, New York, Brighton Photo Fringe, Format Festival, The Magenta Foundation, St Andrews Photography Festival and the Royal College of Art Research Shows at Asylum, Assembly Point, Beaconsfield, Copeland Galleries and Southwark Park Galleries.

  • EDUCATION

    2017- | PhD, Royal College of Art (UK)

    2010 | Postgraduate Master of Fine Art (with Distinction), The Glasgow School of Art (UK)

    2009 | MFA Postgraduate Residency, School of the Art Institute, Chicago (USA)

    2006 | BA (Hons) Photography, (First Class), Edinburgh College of Art (UK)

    2005 | BA (Hons) Exchange, Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore (USA)

  • SCHOLARSHIPS // BURSARIES

    2023 | The Royal Photographic Society Postgraduate Bursary

    2017 | Doctoral Training Partnership: technē Scholarship (AHRC)

    2017 | University of St Andrews Library Visiting Scholarship 2017 (UK)

  • RESIDENCIES / / PLACEMENTS

    2021 | Doctoral Training Partnership Researcher, Observatory House, Collective

    2021 | Doctoral Training Partnership Cataloguer (Photographs), V&A Museum

    2018 | Residency, The Object of Research, University of Cumbria, (RCA / technē)

    2011 | International Residency, Project Fabrika, Moscow, Russia

    2010 | AiR Artist in Residence, Fondazione Fotografia, Modena, Italy

    2008 | Re:Create Artist in Residence, Stills Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland

  • SYMPOSIA

    2019 | Speaking With, Co-Organiser with Dr Marita Fraser, Symposium, Royal College of Art

  • RESEARCH NETWORKS

    2023 | Feminist Histories of the Future, The Glasgow School of Art, Research Network

    2020 | Women Make Cities, Advisory Board, RSE Research Network

    2019 | Speaking of Her, Steering Committee, School of Art and Humanities open Research Network, Royal College of Art

  • PAPERS / ARTIST TALKS

    2023 | Pioneers of Colour: Fulhame and Somerville’s Protophotography, Colour Matters, Trinity College, Oxford

    2023 | ‘[he] had a very low opinion on the capacity of my sex’: Mary Somerville (1780-1872), Feminist Histories of the Future, Henry Moore Institute

    2021 | Cloths of Gold and Experiments on Light (Elizabeth Fulhame (fl. 1794) Mary Somerville (1780 – 1872), Colour Fever, V&A

    2020 | Second Morton Photography Symposium, Glasgow Women's Library

    2019 | Where Are The Women?, Friday Night Mixer, Scottish National Portrait Gallery

    2019 | The Women’s Studies Group 1558-1837, The Foundling Museum

    2019 | Afterlife of the Object: European Summer School in Cultural Studies, University of Copenhagen

    2019 | Association for Art History Summer Symposium, University of St Andrews

    2019 | Spectre of a Woman, DRN Summer Symposium, Paul Mellon Centre, London

    2019 | Say Something Back, Merton College, University of Oxford

    2019 | Women, Work and Commerce in the Creative Industries, Britain 1750 – 1950, V&A

    2018 | Capturing and Collecting: Thinking About Ways We Store Memory, History of Art, University of St Andrews

    2017 | Visiting Scholar Talk, Reading Room, University of St Andrews

    2015 | Diane Arbus - Two Lectures, For and Against, ARTIST ROOMS, Kirkcaldy Galleries, Fife

    2015 | NotFinishedArticle, TalkSeePhotography, Centre for Contemporary Art (CCA), Glasgow

  • EXHIBITIONS / SCREENINGS

    2024 | Chasma, Royal College of Art, School of Arts & Humanities Group Exhibition

    2023 | Hopscotch, Royal College of Art Research Biennale, Copeland Gallery - Group Show

    2022 | Unruly Encounters, Royal College of Art, Lake Gallery/Dilston Gallery - Group Show

    2019 | Chemistry of Colour, St Andrews Photography Festival - Group Show

    2019 | There's Something Lurking in the Shadows..., Royal College of Art - Group Show

    2018 | SEND BACK THE MONEY! SEND IT BACK!, The Jam House, Edinburgh

    2018 | FLIGHT MODE, Royal College of Art Group Show, Asylum, Peckham

    2018 | Empower Her Voice: Mothers in the Arts, Royal College of Art - Group Show

    2018 | Documents, Lumen Studios, The Crypt, Bethnal Green - Group Show

    2016 | Flash Forward 2016, Magenta Publishing for the Arts, Toronto - Group Show

    2016 | BPF OPEN16 Showcase & Moving Image Showreel, Brighton Photo Fringe

    2016 | Thingness, Künstlerhaus, Dortmund, Germany - Group Show

    2016 | Mount Florida Screenings 01, Mount Florida Studios, Glasgow - Screening

    2015 | Zero Hours Creativity, Edinburgh Art Fair, Represented by Stills Gallery - Group Show

    2015 | An Attendant’s Portrait, PHOTOUKINDIA, British Council, New Delhi - Group Show

    2015 | Evidence: FORMAT International Photography Festival, Derby - Group Show

    2014 | Night Contact, Brighton Photo Biennial - Screening

    2014 | 2014 Frames, Centre for Contemporary Art (CCA), Glasgow - Screening

    2013 | An Eye For An Ear, Photography Open Salon, China House - Group Show

    2013 | An Attendant’s Portrait: A One-Day Installation at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery

    2012 | Work In Progress, Stills Gallery, Edinburgh - Group Show

    2012 | Mémoire Involontaire, Columbia University School of the Arts, New York - Group Show

    2012 | An Eye For An Ear, Photography Open Salon, Arles at Gallerie Huit - Group Show

    2012 | World Event Young Artists (WEYA), Nottingham - Group Show

    2012 | Transience, Photography Open Salon, South East Asia at China House - Group Show

    2011 12 | Reflection: Contemporary Visual Arts and Crafts in Edinburgh, City Art Centre - Group Show

    2011 | Everything that comes before us, Project Fabrika, Moscow - Solo Show

    2011 | Transience, Photography Open Salon, Arles at Gallerie Huit, Arles - Group Show

    2011 | Playboy Entertainment for Men featured in 'Trusadh - Series 3, Conaltradh', BBC ALBA

    2011 | 9th International Helen Keller Award, Glasgow Caledonian University - Group Show

    2010 | New Work Scotland Programme Annual Showreel 2010, Collective - Screening

    2010 | Definite Article, Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin - Group Show

    2010 | MFA Degree Show, Centre For Contemporary Arts (CCA) / The Glue Factory

  • EMPLOYMENT / TEACHING

    2021 - | Lecturer, Fine Art Photography, The Glasgow School of Art

    2008 - | Photography Tutor, Stills Gallery, Edinburgh

    2012 17 | Art and Design Studies Tutor, (Photography), Edinburgh College of Art

    2012 17 | Photography Lecturer, BA (Hons) Photography, Edinburgh Napier University

  • AWARDS

    2023 | Scottish History Society: Alasdair Ross Prize

    2023 | Society of Dyers and Colourists, Bursary

    2023 | Richard & Siobhán Coward Grant for Analogue Photography

    2022 | Royal College of Art Research Support Grant, Mary Somerville

    2020 | Andrew Wyld Support Grant (Paul Mellon Centre)

    2019 | Association for Art History Grant

    2018 | Scottish Society for Art History Research Support Grant

    2018 | British Association for Victorian Studies (BAVS) Funding Grant Award

    2018 | Women’s History Scotland Research Bursary

    2016 | The Magenta Foundation Flash Forward Award

    2016 | a-n Travel Bursary, A-N The Artists Information Co

    2014 | The Scottish International Education Trust, Grant for Individuals

    2012 | Arts Trust Scotland Award

    2012 | Visual Arts Award: Edinburgh (in partnership with Creative Scotland)

    2011 | STEP Beyond Travel Grant, European Cultural Foundation (ECF)

    2011 | First Prize, 9th International Helen Keller Award, Sense Scotland

  • PUBLICATIONS AND CATALOGUES

    2022 | Retouching Postpartum ‘I Care By…’, ed. Gemma Blackshaw, London UK: Royal College of Art

    2021 | 'Frederick Douglass: Witness to Early Scottish Photography', National Galleries of Scotland Blog

    2021 | Postpartum: Unlearning Conception and Photography, CARE(less), MA BIBLIOTHÈQUE

    2021 | Pictures and progress? Frederick Douglass and early Scottish photography, V&A Blog

    2021 | Sonsy Fishwives: Gender and Class in Early Scottish Photography, Studies (Spring), SSHoP

    2020 | A Conversation: Tait / Maxwell, PROVA 5, Royal College of Art

    2018 | Conceiving Reproduction: Talbot & Shelley, PROVA 4, Royal College of Art

    2018 | Wipe Ma Haunds, Women’s History Scotland Blog, Exhibition Review

    2018 | Victorian Giants, Exhibition Review, Photomonitor

    2018 | Hidden: House | Work, Exhibition Catalogue, Stills Gallery

    2016 | Flash Forward 2016, Exhibition Catalogue, The Magenta Foundation

    2015 | Creativity and Capital in an Age of Austerity, Uncertain States, Issue 24

    2015 | Evidence, FORMAT International Photography Festival, Derby - Group Show

    2013 | An Eye For An Ear, Photography Open Salon // Arles at Galerie Huit

    2013 | February Issue, Dazed and Confused Magazine

    2012 | Transience, Photography Open Salon // Arles at Galerie Huit

    2011 | Reflection: Contemporary Visual Arts & Crafts, Exhibition Catalogue, Edinburgh Museums & Galleries

    2011 | Small Communities Small Worlds, Fondazione Fotografia/Stills Gallery