Laura Moorhouse

Time, rest, domesticity and the confines of the unwell body are the foundational themes of my practice, informed by my experiences as a person with chronic illnesses.  

My current work draws from crip theory. This is a politicised framework for understanding disability, with strong ties to queer theory. Within both, there is reclaiming of derogatory language (queer, crip), understanding of life beyond binaries, valuing kinship and found families, and an intersectional understanding of how we are marginalised by the world around us.  

Crip Time describes the non-normative ways in which disabled and chronically ill people experience time. Time bends and truncates. I am stuck in the loop of my body’s demands for rest. I try to accommodate these needs in ways that feel joyful or comforting. I actively bring a childlike quality to my practice, to avoid the solemnity that often surrounds portrayals of chronic illness and disability. Unwell bodyminds can be joyful, playful, bold.  

I've created a restful space in the degree show, in the spirit of community care – a portal to crip time. Basic access methods, such as seating, are often missing from gallery spaces – that institutional disregard for the needs of audiences shaped this body of work. I hope this space encourages disabled people to gather and find kinship through experiencing artworks made by a fellow disabled person – and encourages non-disabled people to stand with us in this increasingly hostile political environment.