EJ Major

Name: Emily-Jane Major

Place of Birth: Kowloon, Hong Kong
Residence: London

The artist EJ Major trained as a photographer and social scientist, with a particular interest in anthropology and film studies. The concerns that inform her work are rooted in questions of identity, in how we are constructed as human beings - by biology, society and circumstance – and in the lexicon of languages we must adapt to and adopt to survive, Further, in what we look to and re-fashion, as individuals, in terms of constructing ourselves.

As a result of her dual studies the artist has been keen not to make distinctions between the contexts in which different disciplines may operate or confer a hierarchy on cultural practices. Instead she asks when a certain process or approach might be useful. This method has led to a form of appropriation in her work, though one that is never stable.

EJ Major's materials began with the personal, - letters, diary excerpts and family snap-shots, and now include their public equivalents - films, books and magazine articles. The process of re-presenting these varies depending on the chosen material. It is always something that emerges over time and begins with the act of collection. Where some pieces are produced in complete isolation, such as Marie Claire RIP, others involve the collaboration of strangers, like the postcard series Love Is….

In all, the driving concerns remain constant: an exploration of the individual as a physical and psychological collage; a study of the ways in which we are simultaneously created and self-creating, of the way our worlds and our selves entwine.

EJ Major’s first solo show, Try to Do Things We All Can Understand Streetlevel Photoworks Galleryt, was in conjunction with Glasgow International Festival of Contemporary Visual Art 2008. Among her group shows she has exhibited at Dallas Contemporary, USA (2008), The Minnesota Centre of Photography in Minneapolis (2008), The Australian Centre of Photography in Sydney (2007-2008) Clampart in New York (2007), The 2nd International Fotofestival, Germany (2007), PDNB Gallery Dallas (2007), Darmstadter Tage der Fotografie, Germany, (2007), at the Zoo Art Fair with Trolley Gallery (2006) at Stephen Bulger Gallery, Toronto (2005) and at Fotobild Berlin (2005). She has been reviewed by Modern Painters (2008) and ‘Marie Claire RIP’ has been profiled in European Photography, Fotograf Magazine CZ, The British Journal of Photography, Glasstire and ArtInvestor Magazine DE


Shows
Solo and Two-Person
2008
Try to Do Things We All Can Understand, Streetlevel Gallery, Glasgow
In Association with Glasgow International Festival of Contemporary Visual Art

2007
Domestic Encounters, PDNB Gallery, Dallas, USA
As serious as your life, Bildmuseet Umea, Sweden

Selected group
2009
Salon Summer Show, Salon Contemporary, London
MFA Show, Goldsmiths, London
Group / Grope, Area 10, Peckham London
Helsinki Photography Triennial 2009, Helsinki City Art Museum, Finland
Format 2009 - Photocinema, International Photography Festival, Derby, UK

2008
Click Chicks, Dallas Contemporary, Dallas, USA
ICY, Minnesota Centre for Photography, Minneapolis, USA

2007
Girl Parade, Australian Centre for Photography, Sydney, Australia
Marie Claire RIP, Quayside Arts Centre, Toronto, Canada
2nd International Fotofestival Mannheim, Ludwigshafen, Heidelberg, Germany
The Emergence of The Digital Portrait, Clampart Gallery, New York
Photographer’s Network 2007, Thomas Kellner Studio, Siegen, Germany
Darmstadter Tage der Fotografie, Germany

2006
Emerging Photographers Award Show, Lennox Contemporary Gallery, Toronto
Zoo Art Fair with Trolley Gallery, London
Shoreditch Arts Festival, Leonard St, London

2005
Fotobild, Berlin
Love Is… Camera, in association with Stephen Bulger Gallery, Toronto
Association of Photographers Gallery, London

2003
New Work, The Foundry London
Printworks, InSight Gallery, Norwich

2001
Selected Open, Llauderdale House Gallery, London
Manchester Academy Open, Manchester
Visible, Cardiff Art Gallery, Wales
Women’s Work Exhibition, ArtLink Exchange, Hull
2001, City Gallery, Leicester
Selected Open, The Society of Scottish Artists, Edinburgh

Selected Bibliography
2008
“EJ Major – Try to Do Things We All Can Understand” – Mitch Miller, P 56-57 Varoom No 7, 2008
“Reviews” – Susannah Thompson, Modern Painters P99 June 2008
“Taking a pop at Pop culture” – Jack Mottram, The Herald 04/04/08
“Review” - Alexander Kennedy, The List P94 10-24 April 2008

2007
“Love Is…postcards from the edge” by Simon Bainbridge Magenta Magazine / winter / p20-23
“Reality Crossings” by Christoph Tannert European Photography Number 82 p62-63
"The Other F-word. Third Generation Feminism and its Antecedents."
by Rachel Cook ArtLies Summer 2007 p14-25
"W(h)ither Feminism? Joy Christensen and E-J Major" by Charissa N. Terranova Glasstire June 07

2006
"Profile - EJ Major" by Simona Vladikova Fotograf no 7 / 2006 / vol 5 p4-7
"Fokus Auf EJ Major" by Anne LemhoferFrankfurter Rundschau 21/10/06
"Focus - Emerging Artists" Ute Krepler ARTinvestor 01/2006 p50-51

Publications
2009
Format 09 – Photocinema, Quad Publishing UK
Aletheia – Positions in Contemporary Photography, Helsinki Press, Finland

2008
GI – Cross Section. CCA Press, SC

2006-2007
Darmstadter Tage der Fotografie Catalogue, DTF Press, DE
Flash Forward, The Magenta Foundation CA

TV
2009
Interview - Finnish News in Helsinki about the Marie Claire RIP piece in the show Aletheia.

2007
Interview - Swedish Cultural News. Related show - As Serious as Your Life.

Awards / Education
2009
MFA Art Practice, Goldsmiths University (Result Pending)

2004–06
Emerging Photographers Award Winner, Toronto
Distance Learning course in Film Studies with Exeter University.

2000
Manchester Academy Preston’s of Bolton Award
City Gallery Leicester Phoenix Arts Prize
Lincolnshire Gallery Overall Winner

1996-99
BA First Class (Hons) Photography, Nottingham Trent University

1995-96
ND Photography (Distinction), Hereford College of Art and Design