1 June – 5 July

Catherine Long will explore a psychosomatic relationship between painting and dance. Each day of the residency will start with a dance practice using improvisation and somatic dance techniques that are concerned with focusing on the internal experience of movement. This practice will be used as a way of engaging with the materiality of the body and accessing a sense of embodiment and awareness of the muscles, internal organs and central nervous system. In turn, this embodied state will provide a catalyst for the creation of large-scale paintings, exploring the potential to build a visual language that is underpinned by the psychosomatic relationship and interactions between body and mind.

In the paintings themselves, Catherine will explore personal experience of multiple surgeries, cancer treatment and recovery to articulate an experience that feels beyond language. The process of making the paintings will feed into the development of a durational performance for an audience on 3 July, which will build on the morning dance practices and somatic movement techniques, and is in dialogue with the paintings. Her work will also be available to view during an open studio in the final week of her residency.

Residency Events

Catherine Long will be hosting an Open Studio on Wednesday 30th June, Thursday 1st July and Sunday 4th July, 11am-6pm, reserve your free place here.

Catherine Long durational performance with cellist Laura Moody 3 July, 12-4pm. This performance will build on Catherine’s morning dance practices and somatic movement techniques, in dialogue with the paintings developed during the residency. Book a free slot here.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions capacity is limited and visitors will need to book a timed slot in advance, for the performance and open studios. Please wear a mask (unless exempt) and follow social distancing.

Catherine Long is a visual artist with a background in contemporary dance. She holds a PhD on feminist video art practices awarded by Chelsea College of Arts, University of the Arts London. Her work uses painting, mark-making, dance, video and sculpture to explore the materiality of the body. This interest in corporeality extends to the qualities of materials and how movement and gesture interact with them. She is the co-founder of Practice in Dialogue and has curated and exhibited in Captives of Habit (Deptford X, 2019), Material Gestures (Art Licks, 2019), In Whose Eyes? at Beaconsfield (2018), We all have a problem with representation at The Showroom (2016) and Feminist Practices in Dialogue at the ICA (2015). Catherine lives and works in London.

Image: Catherine Long, Siobhan Davies Percolate Residency 2021