Joseph Cotgrave

Joseph Cotgrave’s practice explores personal narratives, as a young gay man living with HIV. He engages with audiences to create meaningful conversation surrounding issues relating to the virus. His practice aims to highlight and subsequently reduce the stigma that exists for people living with HIV, particularly amongst at-risk groups.

The aesthetic establishes universal motifs drawn from queer culture and history, producing a lexicon that subverts audience’s expectations, challenging societal norms in the process.

Personally, the work provides Joe with a space in which to comprehend his experience of HIV diagnosis, stigma and trauma, and to reconcile those issues visually, in collaboration with audiences. As audiences navigate site-specific installations they are confronted with a juxtaposing commentary of HIV, traditional narratives compete with contemporary experiences. And, as they do so they are provided greater understanding of HIV. This understanding transforms how audiences engage, not only with the work, but also with the artist.

Joseph Cotgrave
www.josephcotgrave.co.uk
17.05.1993
07541667906

I’m an artist based and working in Liverpool, my practice both curatorial and artistically is specified in queer identity and provides a platform for discussion around taboo subjects such as HIV, mental health and stigma. I have facilitated and worked on a huge range of projects including working with GYRO (LGBT youth group), facilitating ‘Notes on Queerness’ at The Royal Standard, one of our most successful shows to date, delivering workshops across Liverpool to raise awareness around HIV and exhibiting my own practice /works across organisations such as The Walker Art Gallery, The Art House and internationally exhibiting work in France, Nantes.

Exhibitions

2014: '7.2' at Rag Factory, London (group)

2015: 'Mother of Invention', Leeds (group)

2015: 'TPA', Pop-up, Liverpool (group)

2016: 'The Royal Standard', Nantes, France (group)

2016: '#19', isthisit?, Online Exhibition

2016: 'BTM', The Trophy Room, Liverpool (solo)

2016: 'isthisit? AFK', isthisit?, London (group)

2017: 'IN THE PINK', Serf, Leeds (duo)

2017: 'Migration', The Art House, Wakefield (group)

2017: Coming Out, part of FORUM, The Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool (solo)

2018: Twice As Nice, PS Mirabel, Manchester (group)

2018: 'Homework', GRAFT, Lancaster (solo)

Residencies

2015: 'The Beauty Of... The Creative space' - Yellow Door Artists/ Heart of Glass, St Helens.

2016: 'Carte Blanche' - Back and Forth, Nantes, France.

2017: 'Migration', ART-HOUSE, Wakefield.

2018: 'FETE 2; Homework', GRAFT, Lancaster.

Education

2012 - 2015: Leeds Beckett - BA Fine Arts degree, First Class Honours

2015-2017: LJMU, MA Fine Art