Diane Bush
Las Vegas, NV, United States
From Buffalo, N.Y. Bush, at 18, immigrated to England with a draft dodger, eager to leave pro-war culture. After 10 years abroad (1969-1979) as a political refugee, student and photographer, Bush returned home. She earned an M.F.A. from S.U.N.Y. by documenting urban redevelopment.
After graduating, Bush worked as a still photographer for ABC –TV and as the Photo Department Coordinator at a local college. While her students won national awards Bush did the same from Kodak, Polaroid, Nikon, Ilford, Friends of Photography, C.E.P.A., HALLWALLS and The Albright –Knox Art Gallery.
Known for social satire, Bush has used macro-photography, voice frames, bleach and other non-traditional materials in her work. Bush has been awarded numerous grants and a Fellowship from the Nevada Arts Council. In 2009 she was nominated for the prestigious U.S.A. Artist Fellowship. Her work has been exhibited and published nationally and internationally, including Japan, China, the UK, France, Germany, and Switzerland.
Bush’s 2006 monograph, WARHEADS logically morphed into “Skin”, where she used bleach on re-cycled C-prints to highlight various social and humanistic issues. In 2012, funded by USA Projects, Bush turned to performance art and documented her donations of photo blankets to Occupiers in three cities. The blankets were emblazoned with satirical photos abstracted with bleach (ImBLEACHments).
More recently, Bush has been designing and installing Temporary Public Art
which use fabric and paper, in coordination with the senior center she supervises. This includes a pedestrian bridge that was Yarnstormed in 2012.
Bush continues to exhibit her work in 2-5 group shows per year. Recently, her work has been acquired by the Tate, via the Martin Parr Foundation’s gift.
Bush lives and works in Las Vegas with her husband and cat.
2002 - Nevada Arts Council