Laura Gonzalez

Laura Gonzalez is a PhD Research Fellow at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and an Athenaeum Research Fellow with the Research and Engagement Sciences, Humanities and Arts Research Exchange (SHARE). She also serves as Reader in Contemporary Art and Performance Practice at Glasgow School of Art and faculty member at the Transart Institute. Her academic work bridges performance art, psychoanalytic theory, and contemplative practices with a particular focus on the intersections of breath, body, and consciousness.

Her research interests span psychoanalytic approaches to art (particularly Freudian and Lacanian theory), hysteria in performance, durational and intimate performance practices, breath and voice studies, Eastern cosmologies, and the theoretical frameworks of seduction in artistic practice. Gonzalez has developed a unique methodology that combines psychoanalytic theory with embodied practices, creating innovative approaches to understanding the relationship between performer and audience, theory and practice.

Gonzalez's scholarly output demonstrates a clear trajectory from early work on psychoanalytic approaches to art objects toward increasingly sophisticated explorations of breath, voice, and the hysteric body in performance. Her recent publications (2023-2025) show a deepening engagement with Eastern philosophical traditions, particularly yoga and pranayama, while maintaining her foundational psychoanalytic framework. This synthesis represents a significant contribution to performance studies, offering new methodologies for understanding the mind-body connection in artistic practice.

• Athenaeum Award (2018, 2023)
• Breath Practice: Creative Scotland Open Project Funding Award CS-1910-29042 (2019)
• Glasgow Medical Humanities Network Foundation Award (2023)
• RCS Student-led Awards: Outstanding Research Supervisor (2025)

Gonzalez has supervised numerous PhD students across multiple institutions including the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Glasgow School of Art, and Transart Institute. Her supervision portfolio demonstrates remarkable breadth, spanning topics from Deaf performer training to the mytho-geographical line in drawing practice. She has secured research funding including the Creative Scotland Open Project Funding for her Breath Practice project, indicating strong grant-writing capabilities and institutional support for her interdisciplinary work. Gonzalez also co-directs @TheGlasgowJam, a Contact Improvisation organization that provides multidisciplinary performance opportunities to the community, demonstrating her commitment to bridging academic research with community engagement.