In his films and art photography, Canadian filmmaker/photographer/writer Bruce LaBruce (Born 1964, Southampton, CA) campily eroticizes the politicized body, wrought with ideology, violence, and often politically incorrect desires. The self-described “bastard child of New Queer Cinema” has recently been the subject of a MOMA film retrospective.

Bruce LaBruce’s uneasy and rebellious oeuvre initially brilliantly references late 60s, early 70s art cinema and pornography in a unique mixture of pastiche, deconstruction and sarcasm. Later film projects explore taboos of sexuality in connection with ideology, age and death, with high levels of camp humor and transgression.

Three of Bruce LaBruce’s photographs are part of SomoS’ Fixation exhibition on the body and sexuality in art films, courtesy of Peres Projects, Berlin.

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Biography

Solo Exhibitions (Selection):

2015
Retrospective, MOMA, New York, US

2014
Skin Flicks: The Films of Bruce LaBruce, Bell Lightbox, Toronto, CA
Obscenity, The Hole, New York, US
Obscenity, Maguey Award International Film Festival, Guadalajara, ME
Obscenity, 14th International Film Festival (FICPV), Puerto Vallarta, ME

2012
Obscenity, La Fresh Gallery, Madrid, ES

2011
Ulrike’s Brain, Die Toten: Life Sciences and Pulp Fiction, Kampnagel, Hamburg, DE
Bruce LaBruce’s Polaroid Rage: Survey 2000-2010, Wrong Weather Gallery, Porto, PT

2010
LA Zombie: The Movie That Would Not Die, Peres Projects, Berlin, DE

2009
Untitled Hardcore Zombie Project, Peres Projects, Los Angeles, US
Blowback, Antigua Casa Haiku, Barcelona, ES

2008
Explicit Fantastic: Sex(y) in Contemporary Culture, Keep Six Contemporary, Toronto, CA
Otto, premiere at Museum of Modern Art, New York, US

2007
Bruceploitation, Vanilla Gallery, Tokyo, JP

2006
Survey of Polaroids, 2001-2006, 1313 Gallery, New York, US

2005
Heterosexuality is the opiate of the masses, Peres Projects, Los Angeles, US

2003
Blame Canada, John Connelly Presents, New York, US

2002
Photographs, Peres Projects, San Francisco, US

2001
Photographs, Bailey Fine Arts, Toronto, CA

2000
Bruce LaBruce, MC MAGMA, Milan, IT
Power Race – Bruce LaBruce, Pitt Gallery, Vancouver, CA

1999
Bruce LaBruce, Alleged Gallery, New York, US

Group Exhibitions (Selection):

2014
Queer Outlaw Cinema, Bell Lightbox, Toronto International Film Festival, Toronto, CA
QUEER BIENNIAL l: LA/NY and parts in between, Coagula Curatorial, Los Angeles, LA

2013
Fuck Taboo, curated by Carlo Madesani, Camera 16 Contemporary Art, Milan, Italy

2011
Queering Sex, curated by Kathryn Garcia and Sarvia Jasso, Human Resources, Los Angeles, US
Transgression, Beers Lambert Contemporary, London, UK
Every Line & Every Other Line, PLATFORM Centre for Photographic + Digital Arts, Winnipeg, CA

2010
Cinema X: I Like to Watch, MOCCA, Toronto, CA
Imperfect As They Are: Superheadz Digital Harinezumi Camera Show, The New Museum, New York, US
Auto-Kino, presented by Phil Collins, Temporäre Kunsthalle, Berlin, DE

2009
Minneapolis, Peres Projects, Los Angeles, US
Bruce LaBruce: Blowback, Antigua Casa Haiku, Barcelona, ES (catalogue)
Straight to Hell presents: In cock we trust, Exile, Berlin, DE
Explicit Fantastic: Sex(y) in Contemporary Culture, Keep Six Contemporary, Toronto, CA

2008
Pretty Ugly, curated by Alison Gingeras, Gavin Brown’s Enterprise, New York, US
Expenditure, Busan Biennale 2008, Busan Museum of Modern Art, Busan, KR
Summer Video Program, Peres Projects, Berlin, DE
Like watching a train wreck, Groeflin Maag Galarie, Zurich, CH

2007
Blame Canada, two persons show with Terence Koh, Peres Projects, Berlin, DE
Gravity’s Rainbow, Peres Projects, Athens, EL
BODYPOLITICX, Witte de With, Rotterdam, NL
The Male Gaze, The Powerhouse Arena, Brooklyn, US
Achtung FSK 18 – Vol 2, Galerie Tristesse in conjunction with the Porn Film Festival Berlin, DE

2006
The Brotherhood, Neon Parc in conjunction with They Shoot Homos Don’t They, Melbourne
Summer Festival, AU; Australian Center for Photography, Sydney, AU
Mid-Life Crisis, Salander-O’Reilly, New York, US
Self-Absorption and Theatricality in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, The Drake Hotel, Toronto, CA
Into Me / Out of Me, P.S. 1, New York, US; Kunst Werk Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin, DE; Museo d’Arte Contemporanea Roma (MAC), Rome, IT
Mega Zines, Visionaire Gallery, New York, US

2005
Regarding Terror: the RAF-Exhibition, KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin, DE

2004
The Sound of the Crowd, Ritter/Zamet, London, UK
Likeness: Portraits of Artists by Other Artists, curated by Matthew Higgs, traveling show, California College of Arts Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts San Francisco, CA; McColl Center for Visual Art, Charlotte, North Carolina, US; Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, US; Dalhousie University Art Gallery, Halifax, CA; University Art Museum, California State University at Long Beach, US; Illingworth Kerr Gallery, Alberta College of Art & Design, Calgary, CA

2003
Attack – The Kult 48 Klubhouse, K48 & Deitch Projects, New York, US
HOVERING, Peres Projects, guest curated by Daniele Balice & Anne Du Boucheron, Berlin, DENow Playing, D’Amelio Terras, New York, US
my people were fair and had cum in their hair (but now they’re content to spray stars from your boughs, curated by Bob Nickas, TEAM Gallery, New York, US

Selected Theater Projects

2011
LUNAIRE, Pierrot. Adapted by Bruce LaBruce. Hebbel Am Ufer (HAU 1). Berlin, 2011

2009
LABRUCE, Bruce. The Bad Breast or, The Strange Case of Theda Lange. Directed by Bruce
LaBruce. Hebbel Am Ufer (HAU 2), Berlin. Brut Theater. Vienna, 2009
LABRUCE, Bruce. Macho Family Romance. Directed by Bruce LaBruce, Theater Neumarkt. Zurich, 2009

2008
LABRUCE, Bruce. CHEAP BLACKY or, The Nine Stages of Death and Dying of the Bourgeois Family. Directed by Bruce LaBruce. Donau Festival. Krems, 2008

2007
LABRUCE, Bruce. CHEAP BLACKY or, The Nine Stages of Death and Dying of the Bourgeois Family. Directed by Bruce LaBruce. Hebbel am Ufer (HAU 2). Berlin, 2007

Selected Films:
2014
Pierrot Lunaire

2013
Gerontophilia, developed for Telefilm Canada, CA

2011
Von Gloeden, in development with Telefilm Canada and The Harold Greenberg Fund, CA

2010
LA Zombie, directed by Bruce LaBruce, produced by PPV Networks, Dark Alley Media, and Wurstfilm, DE; FR; US

2008
Otto; or, Up with Dead People, written and directed by Bruce LaBruce, official selection Berlin International Film Festival, DE, official selection Sundance International Film Festival, CA

2007
Give Piece of Ass a Chance, directed by Bruce LaBruce, CA

2004
The Raspberry Reich, written and directed by Bruce LaBruce, produced by Juergen Bruenning Filmproduktion, DE

1999
Skin Flick (also known as Skin Gang), written and directed by Bruce LaBruce, DE

1996
Hustler White, written and directed by Bruce LaBruce and Rick Castro, UK

1994
Super 8, written and directed by Bruce LaBruce, US

1993
No Skin Off My Ass, written and directed by Bruce LaBruce, CA

1992
Slam!, written and directed by Bruce LaBruce, CA

1987
I Know What It’s Like to be Dead, written and directed by Bruce LaBruce, CA
Boy/Girl, written and directed by Bruce LaBruce, CA
Bruce and Pepper Wayne Gacy’s Home Movies, written and directed by Bruce LaBruce and Candy Parker, CA

Selected Publications by Artist:
LABRUCE, Bruce. The Reluctant Pornographer. Gutter Press. November, 1997
LABRUCE, Bruce. Ride Queer Ride. Plug-In Gallery. Winnipeg, 1998

Selected Bibliography:

2013
ALLEN, Mark. Bruce LaBruce’s New Take on Susan Sontag’s 1964 Essay, “Notes on ‘Camp.’” Huffington Post, May 2013.
BURNETT, Richard. Iconic indie filmmaker Bruce LaBruce returns to Montreal for special Q & A film tribute. Montreal Gazette, March 2013.
HOFFMANN, Tess. Bruce LaBruce Making ‘Gerontophilia,’ a Rom-Com About A Teenager Who Develops Feelings For an 80 Year-Old-Man. IndieWire, Jan 2013.

2012
ACCIDENTAL BEAR. Bruce LaBruce’s “Gerontophilia,” A Sexual Preference for the Elderly: Indiegogo Project. Accidental Bear, December 2012.
ENZINNA, Peter. Bruce LaBruce at the Hole: What it is ain’t exactly clear. NY Daily News, June 2012.
LINDS, Justin. Zealot Zombies vs. Apolitical Vampires: Bruce LaBruce’s Political Enlivenment of the Undead. Popmatters, March 2012.

2011
KRAUS, Chris. What Was Beauty? Art in America. October, 2011
LABRUCE, Bruce. Karl Lagerfeld: Interviewed by Bruce LaBruce. Vice. June, 2011
KRAMER, Gary. Interview: Bruce LaBruce. Slant Magazine. September, 2011
MOORE, Sandee. Art Burn: Reading Between the Lines. Uptown Magazine. April, 2011

2010
LaBruce, Bruce. L.A. Zombie: Lobby Card Series. Seven prints in custom package. Edition of 200. Art Metropole, Toronto, CA. 2010
DEBATTY, Regine. LA Zombie: The Movie That Would Not Die. We Make Money Not Art. February, 2010
MÜLLER, Dominikus. Drängendes, Gärendes Fleisch. Artnet. February, 2010

2009
FURIO COLOMBO, Fausto. Un Pornografo Riluttante: Bruce LaBruce. KULT. December, 2009
HARDY, Ernest. Love Will Tear Us Apart: The Avante-Garde Faggotry of Bruce LaBruce. Flaunt Magazine, 2009. Issue 103
BOOT, Chris. Gay Men Play. Aperture. Summer, 2009
BAHTSETZIS, Sotirios. Gender Abuse – Or, what it is to be queer. Boot Print, 2009. Volume 2, Issue 2, p. 23-25

2008
VELASCO, David. Dead Poets Society. ArtForum. November 28, 2008
KEDVES, Jan. Im Darm ist die Hoelle los. Taz. September 18, 2008
BORS, Chris. Chris Leibowtiz in New York. Artinfo. August, 2008
LACK, Hannah. Zombie Lust. Dazed & Confused. May, 2008
COTTER, Holland. Pretty Ugly: Art Makes Such Weird Bedfellows. New York Times. July, 2008
MÜLLER, Dominikus. Der Friseur, der Skinhead und andere Helden. Berliner Zeitung. July, 2008
VANCE, Kelly. What’s New, Pusinky? East Bay Express. June 18, 2008

2007
MANIA, Astrid. Terence Koh and Bruce LaBruce: Blame Canada. Art Review. December, 2007
JEPPESEN, Travis. The Reluctant Pornographer, On the set of Bruce LaBruce’s Otto. Zoo Magazine, 2007. No. 16

2006
COTTER, Holland. Art in Review; Midlife Crisis. New York Times. June 23, 2006

2005
KNIGHT, Christopher. A new opiate for the masses. LA Times. Calendar section. August 5, 2005. p. 22
SORBELLO, Marina. Reviews, The RAF Exhibition. Kunst Werke. Tema Celeste. May/June 2005. Issue 109, p. 81 – 82
ATHEY, Ron. Go, Bruce LaBruce: Hetersexuality is The Opiate of The Masses. LA Weekly. July 15 – 21, 2005
PFAHLER, Kembra. Bruce La Bruce talks to Kembra Pfahler. C Magazine (International Contemporary Art). Summer, 2005. Issue #86, p. 26-29
UYLENBROEK, Willem. Neuk of Ik Schiet! Blend Magazine. March, 2005. Issue 1 p.106-107
LABRUCE, Bruce. Not Only, Butt Also. Tank Magazine, 2005. Volume 4, Issue 1, p.154-59
Regarding Terror: the RAF-Exhibition. KW Institute for Contemporary Art. Exhibition Catalogue. Berlin, 2005

2004
LABRUCE, Bruce. Xmas with my Muslim Gay Lover. BlackBook. December-January, 2004-5
LABRUCE, Bruce. Boiler, 2004. Issue #04
LABRUCE, Bruce. I hate Straights. Vice, 2004. Vol. 11, No. 10
DALE, Alan. Bruce LaBruce’s The Raspberry Reich: Revolutionary Corn, Revolutionary Flakes. Blogcritics.org. Oct 13, 2004
GOLDSWORTHY, Rupert. Artworker of the week #33. Kulturflash, 2004

2002
HELFLAND, Glen. Randy iconoclast. Salon.com, 2002
LABRUCE, Bruce. In Bed. Butt. Spring, 2002. Number Three, p. 37-44

1996
HOLDEN, Stephen. Stalking the Urban Wildlife In Night’s Darkest Corners. New York Times. September 20, 1996

1995
HOLDEN, Stephen. Film Review; Art Imitating Andy Warhol. March 3, 1995

Bruce LaBruce’s is represented by Peres Projects Berlin.

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