Fiona Crisp is an artist who has become known for creating installations of large-scale photographs that question the ontological presence of the photographic image.
Her works are often generated by spending intensive periods of time in particular locations, recent projects having involved working in the Early Christian catacombs of Rome and a Second World War underground military hospital in the Channel Islands. What unites these apparently disparate sites is that, contrary to their historic purpose that allowed access to a defined group of users, they have now been opened up as tourist sites where the boundaries between heritage, leisure and historical truth become inevitably blurred.
Crisp completed a postgraduate degree at The Slade School of Fine Art, London in 1993 and since this time has exhibited both nationally and internationally, recently showing works under the title Hyper Passive at Matt’s Gallery, London and in the group show You Shall Know Our Velocity at BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead. In 1999/2000 she spent a period of time working in the North East of England whilst on the Berwick Gymnasium Fellowship. Since then she has spent time working in Norway and in Rome where she
held a Wingate Scholarship at The British School.
In 2006 Crisp undertook a residency based at the 18th Century landscape gardens at Stourhead, jointly commissioned by the British School at Rome and the National Trust that looked at the relationship between Classicism and The Contemporary.
More recent exhibitions have included Ruination: Photographs of Rome at the Djanogly Gallery, Nottingham where her work was shown alongside Richard Billingham, John Riddy and Olivo Barbieri. In 2008 Crisp’s work was nominated for both the European Sovereign Art Prize and the Northern Art Prize www.northernartprize.org
Fiona Crisp’s work will be shown May-August at Foto Graphia, International Photography Festival in Rome and in July a major solo touring exhibition of her work, Subterrania will launch at BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead before travelling to Impressions Gallery, Bradford and Newlyn Gallery, Cornwall.
A monograph entitled Hyper Passive surveying Crisp’s work over the last 10 years is due to be published in June by Matt’s Gallery, London. The book will include an essay by Professor Christopher Townsend of London University and an interview with Alessandro Vincentelli, Acting Head of Programme at BALTIC.
Crisp is currently a part-time Senior Lecturer in Fine Art at Northumbria University. Previously she has taught at Camberwell, Universtiy of the Arts, London (2002-3) as well as being a visiting lecturer at several institutions including The Slade, Winchester, Coventry, Derby, Sunderland and Newcastle University. She is presently external assessor for Crawford College, Cork, The Republic of Ireland (2007-2009). Board memberships include Camerawork, London (1998-9) and photoNORTH, Newcastle (2004-5).
Fiona Crisp’s work is represented by Matt’s Gallery, London and is held in the collections of The Tate Gallery, The Government Art Collection, The Arts Council Collection, Worcester City Art Gallery and private collections.
More information can be found at www.matt’sgallery.org |
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Still Films 1999 Installation view. Camerawork, London.

Santa Maria 2003 Installation view.Aspex Gallery, Portsmouth.

Berwick Series 2000 Installation view. Matt's Gallery, London. |
Curriculum Vitae
Born 1966 Derbyshire, UK
Currently lives in Northumberland and works in Northumberland & London
| 1991 - 1993 |
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Slade School of Fine Art, U.C.L. Fine Art - Media Postgraduate |
| 1986 - 1989 |
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W. S. C. A. D. (Farnham) Fine Art - Sculpture 1st Class BA(Hons) |
| 1984 - 1985 |
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Derbyshire College of Higher Education - Art Foundation |
| Current and Forthcoming Exhibitions / Projects / Publications |
| 2009 |
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Foto Grafia Photography Festival. Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Rome. May - Aug |
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Hyper Passive Monograph with essay & interview. Pub. Matt's Gallery June |
| 2009/10 |
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Subterrania Solo touring exhibition.
BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead July-Oct
Impressions Gallery, Bradford, Nov-Jan 2010
Newlyn Art Gallery, Cornwall Feb-April 2010 |
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Recent Solo Exhibitions
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| 2006 |
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Abteilung, The Greenhouse Gallery, St. Peter Port, Guernsey C.I. |
| 2003 |
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Santa Maria, Aspex Gallery, Portsmouth |
| 2000 |
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Fiona Crisp, Matt's Gallery, London |
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Berwick Gymnasium Fellowship, Berwick Gymnasium Gallery (catalogue) |
| 1999 |
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Still Films, Camerawork, London |
| 1996 |
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Omphalos, The Conductor's Hallway Gallery, London |
Recent Group Exhibitions
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| 2008 |
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Ruination : Photographs of Rome Group exhibition with catalogue curated by Richard Wrigley. Djanogly Art Gallery, Nottingham |
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The Berwick Gymnasium Fellowships 1003-2005 Berwick Gymnasium Gallery, Berwick upoon Tweed. |
| 2006 |
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Beauty and the Beast Stourhead Landscape Gardens (NT) Wiltshire. |
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Phantasm Market Gallery, Glasgow.
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You Shall Know Our Velocity BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead |
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Responding to Rome The Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art, London |
| 2005 |
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Fiona Crisp, Matthew Tickle, Philip Warnell Matt's Gallery, London |
| 2004 |
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Ideen von-Kunslen-Auktion, Galerie Luecke und Partner, Berlin |
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Para Sites - Bridport Arts Centre, Dorset |
| 2002 |
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Fiona Crisp / Mary Maclean / Ozhang, Seven Worcester Terrace Gallery, Bath |
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Fellowship Exhibition, The British School at Rome (catalogue) |
| 2001 |
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Diari di Lavoro..., Galleria Nationale d'Arte Moderna, Rome |
| 2000 |
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Stadt München Photo-Biennale, Room 212, Auckland, New Zealand |
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Flicker, Leeds Metropolitan University Gallery |
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Stadt München Photo-Biennale, Galerie Stadt München, Amsterdam |
| 1998 |
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Disrupting the Scene, Cambridge Darkroom Gallery |
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Dark Field, The Boiler House at Hackney Wick, London |
| 1997 |
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Oranges & Lemons, Peninsula Foundation, Eindhoven (catalogue) |
| Awards, Fellowships & Commissions |
| 2008 |
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Nominated for the Northern Art Prize and Sovereign Art Prize. |
| 2007/8 |
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The Geevor Commission - Newlyn Art Gallery, Cornwall. |
| 2007 |
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Residency - Allenheads Contemporary Art, Northumberland. May - Nov. |
| 2006 |
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Artist in Residence, Stourhead Landscape Gardens, Wiltshire (Commissioned by the National Trust and The Hotbath Gallery, Bath) |
| 2005 |
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Grants for Individual Artists, Arts Council England, North East |
| 2004 |
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Nominated for Beck's Futures, ICA, London |
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International Artist in Residence Programme, Guernsey College, Guernsey C.I. |
| 2003 |
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Nominated for Citigroup Photography Prize, 2004 |
| 2001 |
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The British School at Rome, Wingate Scholarship (October 2001 - March 2002) |
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Visual Artists Award, London Arts |
| 1999 |
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Berwick Gymnasium Fellowship, Berwick-upon-Tweed (4 month residency) |
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Nominated for Citibank Photography Prize, 2000 |
| 1998 |
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Awards to Individual Artists, London Arts Board |
| 1997 |
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Art for Everyone, Arts Council (group recipient) |
| 1996 |
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Awards to Artists Exhibiting Abroad, The British Council |
| Bibliography |
| 2006 |
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Vincentelli, Alessandro BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art Library & Archive archive.balticmill.com Fiona Crisp in conversation with Alessandro Vincentelli. |
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Usherwood, Paul Art Monthly#295 April 06 p.34 Reviews You Shall Know Our Velocity : Artists in the North East |
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Hickling, Alfred The Guardian p.36 01.02.06 Art You Shall Know Our Velocity |
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Rudd, Amy Metro p.22 31.01.06 Art Review You Shall Know Our Velocity |
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Clark, Robert Guardian Guide p.36 27.01.06 Exhibition Preview You Shall Know Our Velocity |
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Glover, Michael The Times (The Knowledge) p.34/35 14.01.06 Best of British ..... |
| 2005 |
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James, Sarah Art Monthly#290 October 05 Reviews Fiona Crisp, Matthew Tickle, Philip Warnell Matt's Gallery |
| 2003 |
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Exley, Roy Contemporary Issue 56 Autumn 2003 The Passive Eye |
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Bull, Stephen Source Issue 35 Summer 2003 Santa Maria |
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Lack, Jessica Guardian Guide, May 10 Santa Maria |
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Cowan, Amber The Times Play May 3 Santa Maria |
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Rutter, Barry The News May 2 Santa Maria |
| 2001 |
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Exley, Roy art press 266, March Fiona Crisp |
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Exley, Roy Contemporary Visual Arts Issue 32, January Fiona Crisp |
| 2000 |
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Sophie's What's On, UKlandscape.net, December Fiona Crisp |
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Coomer, Martin Time Out, Reviews, 6-13 December Fiona Crisp |
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Coleman, John What's On in London, 22 - 29 November Fiona Crisp / Matt's Gallery |
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Jevons, Richard The Leeds Guide, October Issue Flicker |
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The Times Metro, 16 September The Big Show |
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Jevons, Richard The North Guide, September Interview - Berwick Gymnasium |
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Walker, Howard The Journal 11 August Berwick Gymnasium Gallery |
| 1999 |
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Morissey, Simon Untitled Magazine, Issue 19 Still Films |
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Townsend, Chris Hotshoe International, May Issue Still Films |
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Thrift, Julia Time Out, 24 February Still Films |
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Cruz, Juan Contemporary Visual Arts, Issue 21 Disrupting the Scene |
| 1998 |
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Lorés, Maite Contemporary Visual Arts, Issue 20 Dark Field |
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Bastible, Acushla Circa Magazine, No. 85, Autumn Issue Dark Field |
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Time Out, 24 June Dark Field |
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Spaninks, Angelique Eindhovens Dagblad Oranges & Lemons |
| Lecturing |
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Currently Senior Lecturer in Fine Art University of Northumbria, Newcastle. |
| 2007 - 2010 |
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External Assessor Crawford College, Cork. Republic of Ireland |
| 2002/3 |
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p/t lecturer Fine Art (photography) BA Camberwell, London. |
| 1998-2004 |
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visiting lecturing at various institutions incl. Slade, Camberwell, Winchester, Coventry, Sunderland etc. |
| Publications |
| 2009 |
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Setting the Fell on Fire Pub. Allenheads Contemporary Art ISBN 978-0-9557478-3-0 |
| 2008 |
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Ruination: Photographs of Rome Wrigly, Richard.
Pub. Djanogly Art Gallery, Nottingham
ISBN 978-1-900809-51-1 |
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The Berwick Gymnasium Fellowships an Archival Record Ed. King, Judith
Pub. English Heritage & Arts Editions North ISBN 978-0-9557478-1-6 |
| 2007 |
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The Sheffield Pavilion Ed. Jane Griffith. Pub. Site Gallery, Sheffield ISBN 97801899926860 (Distributed at Venice Biennale & Documenta XII |
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E8 3RR Portfolio of 15 artists. Pub Matt's Gallery, London |
| 2006 |
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Beauty and the Beast Pub. The National Trust & Hotbath Gallery ISBN 978-1-84359-267-9 |
| 2005 |
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Responding to Rome. British artists in Rome 1995-2005 Pub. BSR. |
| 2004 |
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Para Sites, Bridport Arts Centre Sept/Oct 2004 |
| 2002 |
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The British School at Rome, Fine Arts 2001-2002 Pub. BSR. |
| 2000 |
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Berwick Gymnasium Fellowship , English Heritage/Fiona Crisp |
| 1997 |
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Welcome Back to the Human Race , Peninsula Foundation, Holland |
| Collections |
Tate Gallery Collection, Arts Council Collection, Hayward Gallery, London,
The Government Art Collection, Worcester City Art Gallery & Private Collections. |
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