MALEVOLENCE
GLOUCESTER EXHIBITION: MALEVOLENCE - challenging society's attitudes to gender-based violence and continuing the campaign for its elimination....
Kourtney Roy
One of the most acclaimed women in photography, Kourtney Roy (b. 1981 in Calgary, Canada) began her career after receiving a degree in Media Studies – specialising in photography – from the Emily Carr University of Art and Design in Vancouver. Upon graduating, Kourtney relocated to Paris where she is currently based.
Her work – mainly vintage-styled photography – is heavily inspired by vintage Hollywood cinema. The bright, over-exposed colours give a false sense of security, a reflection on the ‘American dream’ era. Many of photographs feature famous landmarks, such as the Cabazon Dinosaurs in California which were opened to the public in 1975.
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Kourtney casts herself as the protagonist in most of her photographs, creating characters and stories for herself to act out. Her most recent work was The Tourist, in which she plays a woman looking for a husband while on holiday. As the photographs depict, finding a man isn’t so simple; the gaudy colours and precisely styled hair, makeup and fake nails hint at the constant pressure to embody an almost fantastical idea of American beauty and lifestyle.
“It’s true that I do enjoy playing with a certain nostalgia in my imagery. There are definite references to ’50s and ’60s culture, but I also allude to other eras such as the ’70s, 80s, and even the ‘90s.” – Kourtney Roy
By Tamsin McLaughlin
TEXAS 24 © Kourtney Roy
Support
MALEVOLENCE aims to raise greater awareness of gender-based violence and contribute to campaigning for its elimination. Here are some organisations and contacts who may offer help if you're affected by any of these issues...
16 Days of Activism 2023
Throughout the 16 days of activism, we have posted about the work of women photographers who are highlighting violence against women in its many different forms, read their stories here....
Anti-Violence Display
Violence against women takes many forms. For the month of February, we have a special display at the Heroines Quarter showing how different artists have tackled this problem through their work....
16 Days of Activism 2022
16 days of activism for the elimination of violence against women...
In Conversation: Kourtney Roy
Saturday 27th August at 16:00 streaming live in the Glo Lounge. Join Kourtney Roy discussing her new book that raises awareness of the alarming number of women who have gone missing along Canada's "Highway of Tears"....
Portrait(s) 2022
Celebrating a decade of bringing some of the world’s leading artists to France, Portrait(s) festival returns to the spa city of Vichy again this year, from 24th June....
