{{Short description|British photographic artist (born 1956)}} {{Infobox artist | image = | image_upright = | alt = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1956}} | birth_place = | known_for = Photography | style = | awards = Honorary Fellowship, Royal Photographic Society | alma_mater = {{plainlist| *Chelsea School of Art *Newcastle-upon-Tyne Polytechnic *Manchester Metropolitan University}} | website = {{URL|www.sianbonnell.com}} }} '''Sian Bonnell''' (born 1956)<ref name="vam">{{Citation |title=Camera IV: Manners I |date=2011 |url=https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1303342/camera-iv-manners-i-photograph-sian-bonnell/ |access-date=2025-05-18|website=Victoria and Albert Museum}}</ref> is a British photographic artist. Her work is held in the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
==Early life and education== Bonnell was born in London.<ref name="vam"/> She received a BA (Hons) in Fine Art, Sculpture from Chelsea School of Art (1978–81); an MA in Fine Art from Newcastle-upon-Tyne Polytechnic (1983–85); and a PhD by published work from Manchester Metropolitan University (2012–13).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sian Bonnell Resume |url=https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ceff9ddcb3a8400011e6f78/t/679f97c8d8283d6d70ceeb59/1738512328730/Sian_Bonnell_CV_Full_Feb_2025_converted.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250612031224/https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ceff9ddcb3a8400011e6f78/t/679f97c8d8283d6d70ceeb59/1738512328730/Sian_Bonnell_CV_Full_Feb_2025_converted.pdf |archive-date=2025-06-12 |access-date=2026-03-23 |website=static1.squarespace.com}}</ref>
==Work== Bonnell's practice has developed significantly over thirty years. Initially her practice was such that she "places ordinary household objects in the outdoors and, therefore, out of context. She then photographs these sculptural installations, producing imagery that is at once humorous and thought-provoking."<ref>{{Citation |title=Beach Clean |date=1999 |url=https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O233385/beach-clean-photograph-bonnell-sian/ |access-date=2025-05-19|website=Victoria and Albert Museum}}</ref> Since then, "Bonnell's approach has developed into something she describes as 'Wilful Amateurism', which involves the fusing of sculpture and performance into something photographic."<ref name="vam"/>
==Publications== *''When the Domestic Meets the Wild''. 2001. With an essay by Iain Biggs. Exhibition catalogue. *''From an Elsewhere Unknown''. Cardiff: Ffotogallery; London: Hirschl Contemporary Art, 2004. With essays by Mark Haworth-Booth and Mel Gooding. {{ISBN|978-1-872771-51-9}}. *''Everyday Dada''. Stockport: Dewi Lewis, 2006. {{ISBN|978-1904587316}}. *''Wilful Amateur''. Plymouth: Neverdone, 2025. With essays by Aliki Braine, Bonnell, Duncan Woolridge and a transcript of Bonnell in conversation with Susan Bright. Edition of 500 copies.
==Exhibitions==
=== Solo exhibitions ===
* ''Kucken Theater'', Art Galerie Siegen, Siegen, Germany, 2024<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sian Bonnell "Küchen Theater" Ausstellung - Art Galerie Siegen |url=https://www.artgalerie-siegen.de/kuechen-theater-von-sian-bonnell/ |access-date=2025-10-04 |language=de}}</ref> * ''Ten Seconds'', Photofusion Gallery, London, 2022<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-05-06 |title=Sian Bonnell, Ten Seconds |url=https://www.photofusion.org/gallery/sian-bonnell-ten-seconds |access-date=2025-10-04 |website=PHOTOFUSION |language=en-GB}}</ref>
===Group exhibitions=== *''Secret Garden'', Angel Row Gallery, Nottingham, 2000<ref>{{Cite news |last=Clark |first=Robert |date=2000-06-21 |title=Ironic over erotic |url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2000/jun/22/art.artsfeatures |access-date=2025-05-18 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> *''Seeing the Light: Narrascape,'' with Barbara Downs, Deborah Jones, Thomas Kellner, Clare Smith and Frank Yamrus, The New Art Gallery Walsall, Walsall, May–July 2003. Curated by Rhonda Wilson.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Seeing The Light |url=https://thenewartgallerywalsall.org.uk/exhibition/seeing-the-light/ |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=The New Art Gallery Walsall}}</ref> *''Generations: Portraits of Holocaust Survivors'', Royal Photographic Society Gallery, Bristol, January–March 2022<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wroe |first=Nicholas |date=2022-01-24 |title='Wisdom and incredible strength': the exhibition showing the lives built by Holocaust survivors |url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2022/jan/24/wisdom-and-incredible-strength-the-exhibition-showing-the-lives-built-by-holocaust-survivors |access-date=2025-05-18 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Peterson |first=Pia |date=2022-01-27 |title=These Moving Photos Show The Lives Of Holocaust Survivors Today |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/piapeterson/photos-holocaust-survivors-lives |access-date=2026-03-23 |website=BuzzFeed News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Thompson |first=Jessie |date=2021-08-04 |title=The making of a portrait of a Holocaust survivor |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/exhibitions/imperial-war-museum-holocaust-exhibition-photography-ruth-sands-jillian-edelstein-b948854.html |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=The Standard |language=en}}</ref> *Wahlverwantschaft, curated by Mirjam Veldhuis, Pictura, Groningen, Netherlands, April–May 2025<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wahlverwandtschaft |url=https://www.kunstpuntgroningen.nl/agenda/wahlverwandtschaft/ |access-date=2025-10-04 |website=Kunstpunt Groningen |language=nl-NL}}</ref>
===Exhibitions curated by Bonnell=== *''Elusive'', Camberwell College of Arts, London, February–March 2011. With work by Suky Best, Karen Brett, Kathryn Faulkner, Anna Fox, Toby Glanville, Laura Guy, Fergus Heron, Jane Hilton, Juneau Projects, Uta Kogelsberger, Chrystel Lebas, Anthony Luvera, John Miles, Wendy McMurdo, Trish Morrissey, Heidi Morstang, Spencer Murphy, Magali Nougarede, Chino Otsuka, Helen Sear, Self Publish, Be Happy, Nigel Shafran, David Spero, Tansy Spinks, Eva Stenram, Clare Strand, Patricia Townsend, Steven Tynan, and Verdi Yahooda.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bonnell, S., 2011 - Elusive – Manchester School of Art |url=https://www.art.mmu.ac.uk/staff/research/7704 |access-date=2025-05-19 |website=www.art.mmu.ac.uk}}</ref> *'...on Making', Gdansk Gallery of Photography, National Museum, Gdańsk, Poland, March–June 2019. Curated by Bonnell and Malgorzata TarazKiewicz-Zwolicka, with work by Cheryl Newman, Eleonora Agostini, Flannery O'kafka, Fleur Olby, Lydia Goldblatt, Maryam Wahid, Phoebe Kiely and Bonnell.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-02-26 |title='...on making' Exhibition in Gdansk Gallery of Photography, National Museum Gdansk, Poland |url=https://www.mmu.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/story/making-exhibition-gdansk-gallery-photography-national-museum-gdansk |access-date=2025-05-19 |website=Manchester Metropolitan University |language=en}}</ref>
==Awards== *2010: Honorary Fellowship, Royal Photographic Society, Bath<ref>{{Cite web |title=Honorary Fellowship |url=https://rps.org/about/awards/history-and-recipients/honorary-fellowship/ |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=rps.org |language=en-GB}}</ref>
==Collections== Bonnell's work is held in the following permanent collections: *Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas: 3 prints<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sian Bonnell |url=https://emuseum.mfah.org/people/19090/sian-bonnell/objects |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=Museum of Fine Arts, Houston |language=en}}</ref> *Victoria and Albert Museum, London: 12 prints<ref>{{Cite web |title=Search Results |url=https://collections.vam.ac.uk/search/?id_person=A5986&page=1&page_size=15 |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=Victoria and Albert Museum |language=en}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{Official website|www.sianbonnell.com)}}
{{Authority control (arts)}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Bonnell, Sian}}
Category:21st-century British artists Category:21st-century British women artists Category:Artists from London Category:21st-century British photographers Category:21st-century British women photographers Category:Photographers from London Category:Alumni of Manchester Metropolitan University Category:Alumni of Northumbria University Category:1956 births Category:Living people