Alicia Bruce, award-winning photographer, who roots her artistic practice in social engagement with communities, is exhibiting, Menie: A Portrait of a North East Community at Moray Art Centre this autumn.

 Recently two of her portraits from the exhibition were acquired for The National Galleries of Scotland’s permanent collection, which is an excellent achievement for both Bruce and for the Menie residents.

The exhibition re-casts the much-publicised situation in Menie, an area of outstanding natural beauty and SSSI on the North Aberdeenshire coast, where residents homes face Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) to make way for Trump International’s proposed golf course and a housing development. The main body of her work is of her posed Menie subjects in restaged compositions from celebrated paintings to make memorable and powerful portraits that eloquently make their case. The Menie residents selected the source paintings, a number of which are from Aberdeen Art Gallery’s permanent collection. With the Menie estate in the background and the residents as the subjects these respond to the subjects and create not only a reference to the original artworks but a portrayal of the subjects in the photographs and the ordeal they are currently facing.

Bruce spent the summer of 2010 collaborating with residents of Meni, socially engaging and interacting with estate, Bruce has produced a stunning body of photographic and moving image works that present a humane story about people and place – an observance of conflicted territory and those who inhabit it.

A graduate from Edinburgh Napier University 2006, Bruce was previously awarded an Artist in Residence at Aberdeen Arts Centre in 2008 where she spent her time creating new work responding to the city of Aberdeen as well as teaching a series of community based workshops.

Bruce says,”This exhibition is a humane story of a conflicted territory and those who inhabit it. I was deeply upset to see the harassment the residents of Menie undertook simply for wishing to remain in their family homes. If these compulsory purchase orders go ahead no home in Scotland would be safe. Menie is a stunning piece of coastline and, in spite of living in constant threat; the residents welcomed me with hospitality and above all, dignity. We short listed paintings we saw in Aberdeen Art Gallery and restaged these as large scale photographs outside the residents’ homes with them as the subjects. We drew parallels with the artworks and the current situation in Menie. The image in the show of 86 year old Molly Forbes was her tenth day without running water.’’

Randy Klinger, Director of Moray Art Centre said, “We were very interested in showing this exhibition as Moray Art Centre is based around a number of small communities which are also fragile due to the recent closure of RAF Kinloss. It is so interesting to observe how communities work together to survive when outside influences can have an effected on them. The continuum of history, studied in Alicia Bruce’s work, mirrors well Moray Art Centre’s aims of designing exhibitions that explore and celebrate art throughout the ages as well as contemporary tradition. ”

The exhibition carries runs from Friday 15 October to Saturday 26 November 2011, Tue to Friday 10am to 5pm and Saturday, 10am to 4pm

Email: info@morayartcentre.org  Director Randy Klinger on 07738812027 Centre Manager Diane Smith on 07764 615517 Gallery Manager Scott Byrne on 01309 692426

Source: Moray Art Centre