An array of ceramic transfer artwork by Carrie Reichardt and (right), three sculptures by Sasha Constable

ABC of Feminism

A multidisciplinary exhibition shining a light on the work of female creatives has been on show throughout March at Stella Dore gallery in Norman Road. The show runs until Saturday 2 April and HOT’s Erica Smith recommends  you get down to see it whilst you can.

Carrie Reichardt is never going to entirely shuck off her anarcho-craftivist rep. How could she? Reichardt’s protest by deed and visual activism are works that typify and reflect the artist’s core concerns: systemic injustice, cruelty, social activism and what exactly is it that deems a Mother, fit for purpose? Reichardt’s large scale public works along with her many prestigious residencies and high-profile funded research such as the Winston Churchill Traveling Fellowship (2013) ‘To Advance the Craft of Community Mosaics’ increasingly confirms her, at home and abroad, as a stand out socially engaged art practitioner: one of the top ‘go to’ persons when public bodies are awarding commissions. When they want someone who can engage, perhaps enrage but certainly encourage the viewer to reconsider the role of the artist in challenging normative historical and social narratives. Her most recent public mosaic is at Finsbury Park Underground station in London.

Magda Archer trained at Ravensbourne College of Art, Chelsea School of Art and the Royal College of Art before embarking on a series of group exhibitions. In 1996 she produced artwork for The Beatles Anthology in partnership with Peter Quinnell. Since then she was the co-writer and illustrator for the Harry Hill Fun Book. In 2011 Magda had her first solo show, ‘Crazy Mad’ at the Cornerhouse, Manchester. In 2012 Magda’s paintings were first used by Comme des Garcons for their spring/summer Shirt Campaign and more lately by Marc Jacobs.

Shuby is a UK based studio and street artist who uses print, collage, paint and
photography to create original reinterpretations that revel in absurdity, kitsch and
irony. Her cheeky visions are almost dream-like in their Technicolor intensity.
She works in a wide variety of mediums including paintings, printmaking, ceramics
and reworking found objects. Her influences include Josephine Baker, Busby Berkeley, Ellen Gallagher, Andy Warhol, Eduardo Paolozzi, and Martin Sharp.

Grande Dame aka Tiff McGinnis is a self taught multi-media artist specialising in hyper coloured illustration and animation. Originally from the US, she has been based in the UK since 2001 however she is from a different dimension altogether. Back in the early noughts, Tiff was signed to the record label Tummy Touch under the moniker Crazy Girl. She began to teach herself to animate by making music videos for her songs. Her release High Tide Hell, was her very first animation. It became an underground sensation, and was even shown at Albert Hoffmans 100th birthday, Jan 2006 in Basel Switzerland at the LSD Symposium. That foray into moving image began an odyssey that continues decades later. More recently she has entered the NFT world, her gifs and videos seemingly visionary in the context of this emerging collectable currency.

Sophie Barnard (left) is a self-taught, Hastings-based artist who has dipped in and out of the art world since leaving school. Her style has evolved over the years into recognisable works of surreal imaginings. Currently working with wool on hessian, Sophie creates striking tapestry-like works from reconstructed human forms, re-worked domestic objects to everyday scenes crossing over into fantasy. A young mother herself the juggle of nurturing personal creativity alongside raising a small human are woven throughout her imagery.

Michelle Mildenhall is a UK artist with a distinctive style. She creates provocative art that combines stylised imagery with her passion for latex in a new and innovative way. Michelle’s work is highly recognisable, as each artwork is meticulously constructed using sheet latex, a material that she has spent years working with, perfecting her skills in order to create her compelling art.

Mew (right), is a former member of the band Elastica. Having achieved more than she ever anticipated from music, in 2010 she made the decision to begin a long overdue degree in fine art which she graduated from Brighton University with a first class honours degree. Playing with juxtaposing ephemeral signs and symbols from popular culture with the use of bold colours and imagery of play, suggesting that these colours, shapes and patterns can mean so much more than simply decoration. By experimenting with shape and scale, she aims to create objects reminiscent of children’s toys in their construction but also drawing on the idea of investigation into structure.

Chantrea Thorn and Madeline Green aka “The clitorati” lead a social enterprise empowering local women in Cambodia. Revolutionary and courageous in their designs that raise awareness out about womens health well being in a culture where such topics are taboo.

Sasha Constable completed a Sculpture degree at Wimbledon School of Art in 1992 where she specialized in stone carving and also began a love for relief printmaking. These two mediums have been a constant in her varied journey in the art sector as a teacher, curator, mentor, art projector coordinator and artist. Seventeen years were spent living and working in Cambodia where its complex culture and history had a deeply formative effect on her development as an artist. She became very involved in the ‘Peace Art’ movement having coordinated two large-scale peace art projects in 2003–04 and 2007; these projects transformed destroyed weapons of war into sculptural expressions of peace. Three monuments can be seen sited in public parks in Phnom Penh, Battambang and Kompong Thom and her monument dedicated to De-miners is situated in the HALO Trust compound in Siem Reap.

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