Diana Scarborough

Diana Scarborough

Multimedia Artist

Diana Scarborough, MULTIMEDIA ARTIST - ENGINEER

Diana Scarborough is a Cambridge-based artist creating multi-disciplinary works that intersects art, technology, history and the environment. Referencing scale and time, data, ecology and the invisible sciences, her time-based collaborative practice reveals a bias towards process, visualisation and performance. Working directly with scientists she is able to understand the context of their research trajectory and outcomes with true understanding as she is also an engineer. Processes and implications of space weather, nanoparticle activity, historical developments of technology with social-economic implications all feature in works that highlight the unseen, the forgotten or global concerns transformed by a curiosity-led art lens.

Diana Scarborough as artist-in-residence at FRUKLAB at the University of Cambridge,UK. Photocredit: Fruklab

She currently collaborates with British Antarctic Survey, Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, and the School of Music at the Australian National University. To find out to more on her space themed art-science collaboration with British Antarctic Survey Click here:

CO-FOUNDER OF SOUNDS OF SPACE PROJECT - ANTARCTICA & BEYOND

To find out to more on her space themed art-science collaboration with British Antarctic Survey Click here:

BACKGROUND

A British based artist, she lived and worked in Australia, Netherlands and Texas, and these are strong influences in her work. From the outset she has been a creator and innovator working across different disciplines and careers.

In the Beginning

As an eighteen-year-old technical specialist at a naval dockyard in Sydney, her role was to implement design upgrades or repair  radio, RADAR and SONAR from ships and submarines before being recruited by an R&D company in the UK to develop cutting edge telecommunication designs.

Iconic satellite antenna at Jodrell Bank. Blue Dot Festival,2019

Engineering Career

Scarborough studied Electronics Engineering at York University (1990), and in her final year designed an instrument for archaeological use. Although she was offered a cross-disciplinary PhD opportunity in subsurface radar technology, she chose to work first for a UK and then a US company designing and developing telecommunication infrastructures, process control systems, and telemetry systems for oil platforms, gas refineries, and remote monitoring. She even worked with NASA! Much of her current art practice is informed by 17 years as a hands-on project-based Chartered Engineer. 

Royal Academy of Art (Netherlands)

She moved to the Netherlands in 2001, and the following year was accepted onto the Fine Art degree course at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague  (https://www.kabk.nl). Being taught in Dutch was a challenge but, despite her lack of a formal art background, found the physical process and the creative opportunities inspiring. This prompted a career shift from engineering to art. Excelling as a student, Scarborough was fast-tracked, skipped a year and graduated in 2006.

 

‘Looking towards Earth’, (self portraits) Royal Academy of Art, 2007

Early Interactive Installation (2012)

‘Radio Dials’, an interactive sound & print installation evoked the beauty of the analogue radio with soundscapes of collected memories that were triggered when a visitor was in a space. Drawing  on her engineering skills, she collaborated with Ubisense, to adapt their ‘Real Time Location System’ for her installation. This work was the milestone event that set her on her current  artistic trajectory of creating multi sensory spaces using media  technology. projection mapping software and data visualisation with live performance. 

Ubisense 'position triggers' for Radio Dial Soundscape

Artist at Work

‘Time to Stare’ Bursary and Artist Residency, Suffolk, 2019

Diana in Maggi Hambling’s Studio.
Photo Credit: Eileen Haring Woods

SELECTED PRESS & LINKS

CV

PUBLIC ART, EXHIBITIONS & COMMISSIONS

2024  Sounds of Space Project Glastonbury Festival.  Performances with music and projection at Laboratory Stage, Science Futures area.  

2024  Soothe Performance, created  molecular video component for dance .  project by Infusion Physical Theatre, Cambridge Festival 

2024 Down the Rabbit Hole & Water for Cabinet of Curiosities  Exhibition at Chem. Eng and BioTech Dept for Cambridge Festival 

2024 Sounds of Space Project, films and soundscapes for Open Day for the Cambridge Festival at British Antarctic Survey 

2024 ‘In Aurora’s Garden’, 4th Album released on Bandcamp and Spotify as Sounds of Space Project 

2023  ‘Down the Rabbit Hole’ -, GUI/GOOEY online gallery show, curated by L.Splan, Plexus Projects, NYC, USA 

2022 Sunconscious, Album –Released on Bandcamp by Sounds of Space Project

2021 Prologue-Epilogue Premiere & Talk, SIA Gallery, Sheffield, U.K.

2021 Celestial Incantations, Album, Released on Bandcamp by Sounds of Space Project

2020 Aurora Musicalis Art Video, Ecoconciousness; an online exhibition by Ecoartspace, U.S.

2020 A Salt Journey, a ‘blue sky’ concept for Lion Salt Works Museum, Arts & Heritage, U.K.

2020 Aurora Musicalis, Album; Halley Station, Antarctica. Released on Bandcamp

2020 Sounds of Space Films; Hebridean Dark Skies Arts & Astronomy Festival, An Lanntair, Isle of Lewis, Scotland

2019 Aurora Musicalis with Dance; Eddington for Festival of Ideas, Cambridge

2019 Art-Science Live; Performance with orchestra, lectures & new work, School of Music, ANU, Australia

2019 Alive in the Universe Exhibition; ‘Sounds of Space’ art films, Venice Biennale, Palazzo Pesarro Papafava, Italy 

2108 Sound of Space; Multidisciplinary performance (talk, dance, animations, live music) Aurora Centre, Cambridge

2018 From A-B. Solo Retrospective Exhibition; Yarrow Gallery, Oundle

2017 Journey into Velvet; Video for SRUK, Dr Ana Cabrera for Interwoven, V&A Museum, London2017 Strike, Multiscreen Video Installation; Filmed/edited for Issam Kourbaj, Penn Museum, Pennsylvania 

2017 Creative Reactive; Projected Video Installation; Will Hill, Cambridge School of Art, Cambridge

2016 Breaking Boundaries; Art-science multimedia performance for Nobel Prize-winners with Melissa Murray; DIPC, Spain

2016 WaterArt-science video installation, Technical Museum, Zagreb, Croatia with L. Fruk, Cambridge

2016 Exo-planets, Data as Print; Cambridge, Pint of Science, Cambridge 

2015 Amyloid Beta ShadowlandSound and video installation, Cambridge, Cavendish Labs with Dr. Laurie Young

2015 Laser Illuminations on a chimney; Museum of Technology, Cambridge

2015 Nano Art: Perceiving on the Smallest Scales; Festival of Ideas, University of Cambridge

2014 Bespoke DNA necklace with actual DNA; Commission for USA based client

2014 Unearthed; Video portrait and sound piece for artist Issam Kourbaj P21 Gallery, London

2013 Typographia; Art installation with performance, Typography Conference, Cambridge

2012 Radio Dials; Interactive Sound & Print installation, Ruskin Gallery, Cambridg2010 Print Exhibition (solo); Gainsborough House, Sudbury

2006 Degree Show; Royal Academy of Art, The Hague, Netherlands

 

ARTIST RESIDENCIES, GRANTS & PRIZES

2024 ACE Lottery Grant – Cradle of Fire project, Research and Development 

2022 to Date Artist-in Residence at Fruk Lab – Dept of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge 

2021 Artist Support Grant, DYCP, Arts Council England

2019, Visiting Artist-in-Residence, School of Music, ANU, Canberra

2019 A-N Artist Bursary Recipient

2019 Time to Stare Bursary and Artist Residency, Suffolk

2013 AA2A Artist Residency – Cambridge School of Art

2010 Gainsborough Graduate Print Prize

 

PUBLIC TALKS, WORKSHOPS & PUBLICATIONS

2024 Guest Lecturer – for art  students for  Summer Boarding Courses, Cambridge

2024 Artist Talk –   ‘Soothe’ art-science dance and multimedia performance at Bottisham Village College. Cambridgeshire

2024 Sound Art Workshop and Career Talk – as AIR at Nano-photonics Summer School. Cavendish Labs University of Cambridge

2024 Radio Interview and Podcast – as Sounds of Space Project., 2SER radio’s Drive programme, Sydney, Australia

2023 Publication Antarktikos #2 Light and Shadow – Esher Kokmeijer

2023 Nature Careers Podcasts – (Nov 10, Nov 24 2023, see blog)

2023  AIR at science research Fruk Lab – gave talks and created artwork. 

2021   Film ‘101 Jobs That Changed the World  – as the artist who works with scientists  Selected by UKRI

2021 Publication Music of the Spheres –  A&G journal (Feb) Sound of Space Project

2019 Seminars, Lectures & Performance – School of Music, Australian National University, Canberra

2019 Festival Lecture Sounds of Space –Blue Dot Festival, Jodrell Bank

2019 Conference Lecture Sounds of Space  – Polar Educators Conference, Cambridge

2018 Publication Sounds of Space – A&G Journal, Astronomy & Geophysics, Vol 60, April 2019

2018 Lecture, Performance at Sounds of Space Project –  Festival of Science, March 2018, Cambridge 

2016 Pivotal Environmental Festival – Artist, Film Organiser, Museum of Technology, Cambridge 

2016 Big Draw – Transformation Animation, Anglia Ruskin University 

2016 Data Floes, Polar Science as Catalyst for the Arts –  Lecture, Festival of Ideas, Cambridge 

 

ART EMPLOYMENT

2022 to Date – Artist-in-Residence, Fruk Lab  Dept of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge 

2023/4 – Oxford Brookes University  Film Editing T.Miller/S.Bevan Editing film  ‘How was it for you?’

2023 – Delivering workshop’ Masterclass on Creative Impact for Open University Researchers

2023  Publication Lead Article of  Engineering Journal Precision, including front cover ‘Where Art Meets Engineering’ 

2021 Masterclass, Isadora Software (3 days), Royal Central School of Speech & Drama, London

2020  Professional Videographer Services, Royal Central School of Speech & Drama, London

2010 – 2020 Digital Art Teacher (P/T), Stephen Perse Foundation, A-level, IB, Senior School, Cambridge

2016  Projection Fine Art Workshop, Royal Central School of Speech & Drama, London

2016 – Art Director for Documentary, Normal?, Festival of the Brain, Folkestone

2013 – 2015 Delivering CPD for Schools, Animation, Film Making, Photoshop

2014 – 2015 Life Drawing Classes, Stephen Perse School, Cambridge

2011 – 2014 Aspirational Animation Courses, SHINE for Nth Cambridge Primary Schools

2008 – 2011 Art & Architecture Courses, Cambridge University Summer School

2008 – 2010 Sculpture Classes, Adult Education, Bottisham, U,K

2007 – 2010 3D Art & Design Tutor, 6th Form College, CATS, Cambridge

2003 – 2005 Bespoke Studio-Based Art Courses, The Hague, Netherlands

 

ENGINEERING EMPLOYMENT

2001 – 2006 Telecommunication Consultant, Netherlands

1994 – 2001 Lead Telecommunications Engineer, Brown & Root Inc, Houston, USA

1992 – 1994 Senior Telecommunication Engineer, AMEC Engineering, London

1990 – 1992 Instrumentation Engineer Marathon Oil, London

1984 – 1990 Electronics Design Engineer, Cossor Electronics Ltd, Harlow

1981 – 1984 Technical Officer-Naval Systems, Sydney, Australia

1980 – 1981 Trainee Technician, Centre Industries, Sydney, Australia

 

EDUCATION

2012 MA Printmaking, Cambridge School of Art, Cambridge 

2006 BA Fine Arts, Royal Academy of Arts (KABK), The Hague, Netherlands

1990 BSc (Hons), Electronic Engineering, University of York, U.K.

1984 Certificate of Electronic Engineering, Nth Sydney, Australia

 

PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATIONS 

C Eng Registered Chartered Engineer

M.I.M.C Member of Institute of Measurement & Control

 

ART ORGANISATIONS

Neotists –  a community of creative professionals in the St Neots and Huntingdon area.  

Ecoartspace – concerned with t the principles of ecology through immersive environments created by artists. 

 

CURRENT COLLABORATIONS

Dr Nigel Meredith, Space Weather Scientist, British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge

Dr Kim Cunio, Composer, Head of School of Music, Australian National University

Dr Ljiljana Fruk, Associate Professor, Dept. of Chemical Engineering & Biotechnology, University of Cambridge 

Sue Bevan, Writer, Theatre Maker, Workshop Leader, Co-founder of Cambridge Impact

Issam Kourbaj, Artist

Carolyn Waudby, Poet & journalist – Sheffield Hallum University

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