Rachael Burns (b.1994) is a photographic artist based in Manchester UK and working as a teaching assistant on the BA (Hons) Photography course at Manchester School of Art. Working predominantly with traditional analogue techniques, her graduate work and research focused on our collective relationship with the photographic object, and how our identity is played out through photography in the most intimate of spaces. This body of work is ongoing but has been presented both for exhibition as a series of hand printed c-types and as a self-published dummy book. This project developed a fascination with domestic spaces which led to her to open up her own house as subject matter; installing a temporary darkroom in one of the bathrooms and offering short residencies within the space to other artists interested in making work about the home. The resulting work was exhibited in April 2018, and included in the accompanying print publication alongside texts of all forms from writers responding to the project.
Since graduating in July 2016 her work has been exhibited in the UK and internationally, and was selected by Sian Bonnell to feature in her exhibition Beyond the Camera as part of Pingyao International Photography Festival. She also worked with Lydia Marley on a collaborative commission to produce an installation at The Whitworth Art Gallery, exhibited as part of Circuit: WARP Festival. In September 2016 Rachael was selected to take part in the Lumen London residency in Atina, Italy; working alongside 20 artists of various disciplines to produce a body of work which was then exhibited at the end of the two week residency. The work developed was also featured in a London exhibition held in St. Pancras Crypt Gallery and in a publication produced to commemorate the residency. More recently her work was exhibited at the 2017 edition of Carlisle Photo Festival as part of the Visualising The Home exhibition.
EDUCATION
BA Photography, First Class Honours, Manchester School of Art
EXHIBITIONS
2019 TOIL, Grosvenor Gallery, Manchester School of Art
2018 Form, Brighton Photo Fringe Collectives Hub, Phoenix Brighton
2018 Beyond the Camera V, Pingyao International Photography Festival, China
2018 Invitation of International Universities Exhibition 2018, Nanjing University of the Arts, China
2018 Bathroom Darkroom Project, Grosvenor Gallery, Manchester School of Art
2017 Visualising the Home at Carlisle PhotoFestival, The Vallum Gallery, Carlisle
2016 La Fine Dell' Universo, St Pancras Crypt Gallery, London
2016 Lumen Residency Exhibition, Atina, Italy
2016 Beyond the Camera III, Pingyao International Photography Festival, China
2016 Stem, Hoxton Arches, London
2016 Manchester School of Art Degree Show, Holden Gallery, Manchester School of Art
2016 Free for Arts Festival, Kosmonaut NQ, Manchester
2015 The Hyper Real, Wonder Inn, Manchester
CURATORIAL PROJECTS
Form, January - September 2018
Bathroom Darkroom Project, March 2017 - April 2018
shutterhub.org.uk/behind-the-scenes-rachael-burns-on-the-bathroom-darkroom-project/
Make/ Shift, November - December 2017
was it the tired salmon: An Exhibition of Photobooks, February - May 2017
BOOK DESIGN
FORM, zine produced in an edition of 200, September 2018
ROUTE, Manchester School of Art Photography Degree Show Catalogue 2018
Bathroom Darkroom Project, exhibition catalogue produced in an edition of 80, April 2018
POST SILVER, Manchester School of Art Photography Degree Show Catalogue 2017
I'm very sentimental I am you know, zine produced in an edition of 60, June 2016
RESIDENCIES & COMMISSIONS
Lumen London Residency, 1st - 15th September 2017. Atina, Italy
Installation for Circuit: WARP Festival, 25th - 26th June 2016. Whitworth Gallery and Whitworth Park
Contact email rachaelburns (at) ntlworld.com