International Women's History Month

Valiant Women of the Vote

International Women's History month began in the USA in 1980 by Presidential decree.  One of it's objectives is to counter balance the omission of women's contributions and accomplishments from mainstream culture - not wishing to diminish the achievements of men, but adding female accomplishments back into the history books.  The Gallery has always had an interest in adjusting the balance within the artworld and highlighting the work of its women artists, so as we come to the close of March 2020, we thought this would be an ideal time to celebrate their work.

Laura Beaumont's most recent work, 'Good Wives', using Louisa May Alcott's sequel to 'Little Women', is apposite to this year's theme.  Leading the group of protesters in Beaumont's tableau is Emmeline Pankhurst - but a closer look will reveal the many other characters who are challenging the social norms including all four of the 'little women' and members of the #MeToo movement.  Pieces of the book have been torn out by the dissidents and lie in the bottom of the frame.  This piece which is in a unique series of 10, typifies Laura Beaumont's approach which grasps the big issues and delivers pithy comment with wit and charm.

To download a catalogue with Laura's own explanation of the inspiration behind 'Good Wives' and for more of her new work click HERE

Laura Beaumont - Good Wives (2020)

Mixed media book sculpture

37 x 41 x 4.5 cm

To celebrate and commemorate the centenary of women's suffrage, in 2018, sculptor Hazel Reeves was selected to produce the public sculpture located in St Peter's Square, Manchester.  The edition of the maquette was sold out and Hazel has produced an edition of 16 mini Emmelines, which has been scaled down from the full size piece,  with a proportion of the sale proceeds being donated to Manchester rights charities Pankhurst Trust and Wythenshawe Safespots who work with the survivors of domestic abuse. 'Our Emmeline' as the Mancurians have named this new pubic sculpture is not exempt from the current pandemic - equally poignant given that the Spanish Flu pandemic wreaked such devastation a century ago.

Hazel, who is an accomplished portrait sculptor, has also produced an edition of her sculptural portrait of Emmeline Pankurst. 

The story of the Emmeline Pankhurst public commission and further information on Hazel's work can be downloaded from our website HERE

Hazel Reeves 

Emmeline Pankhurst (mini) (2020)

Bronze sculpture

42 x 30 x 30 cm

Female Identity has always informed the work of contemporary painter Rebecca Fontaine-Wolf. In her recent series of works, Daughters of Medusa, she continues to look at the depiction of women in mythology, which is full of stories of powerful and fearsome hybrid women such as Medusa, whose magical powers must be contained.  A dual image, beautiful and pure on the one side and monstrous on the other, she shapes our views of womenhood, reflected in Picasso's famous statement that women are either goddesses or doormats, and it is inextricably linked with fertility, menstruation and power dynamics
 

The fear of the female gaze, which plays such a vital part in the story of Medusa, serves as one of the main focuses for the series of paintings that reflect on the threat perceived from women’s menstrual blood and from female power and fertility.

This body of work reflects on the creative potential present in this very primal aspect of womanhood, which still holds so much fear and shame.  The mixed emotions most women in today's society still have towards their bodies and themselves speak of Medusa's legacy. 

Rebecca Fontaine-Wolf

Blood of Medusa (2019)

Oil, acrylic, and charcoal on linen

112 x 112 cm

Natalie Papamichael is an artist whose feminist credentials are very apparent and with her self portraiture featuring heavily throughout her work, are very personal.  She draws on historic events, mythology and the work of artists throughout art history.  Massacre of the Madwomen featured above is based on a print of the event in 1872 - part of the bloody September massacres in Paris during the French Revolution, La Salpetriere, a famous asylum in Paris was stormed - 35 of the women were dragged into the streets and murdered.  Papamichael has reimagined this using imagery of herself as well as characters from The Red Shoes and the Cabinet of Dr Calligari.

The Society of Outsiders I and II are based on photographic tableaux by conceptual artist Eleanor Antin.  Natalie Papamichael has again rewritten the tableaux by inserting herself into the narratives in the guise of different female archetypes including Salome and Penelope.

Download Natalie's full catalogue of work from our website - click HERE.

Natalie Papamichael 

The Society of Outsiders (after Eleanor Antin) (2017)

Oil on linen - 200 x 170 cm

Painter and textile artist Sarah Michelle predominantly features women in her work.  Her tatooed images are paintings in acrylic with embroidered tatoos.  Whilst quite different in character from her delicate stitched illustrations, they nonetheless form a cohesive body of work that investigates femininity in many different guises, and explores fashion and texture using many different techniques.

Her new series of Body Positive stitched works aim to challenge the air brushed and unrealistic imagery  sometimes offered in the media and often exploited by social media channels.

Sarah Michelle's Solo show is scheduled for May - as with other planned exhibitions, this may have be a virtual exhibition - however, her full catalogue will be available soon.  Please Register Here for your pdf copy

Sarah Michelle - Montage (Top Left - Bottom Right)

Leopard Print Set (2020) - Embroidered illustration with appliqué on card - 30 x 21 cm 

#11 (2020) - Acrylic on canvas with embroidered detailing - 60 x 42 cm

#12 (2020) - Acrylic on canvas with embroidered detailing - 60 x 42 cm

Bright Pink Brazilian Cut (2020) - Embroidered illustration with appliqué on card - 30 x 21 cm

Grey Sport Lingerie (2020) - Embroidered illustration with appliqué on card - 30 x 21 cm

Body Cast Sculptor Louise Giblin is very well known for her sculptural portraits of celebrities - Her Olympians  - Dame Kelly Holmes, Beth Tweddle, Kris Akabusi, Duncan Goodhew and many more well known athletes and public figures have featured in her work.
 

The body cast is however only the beginning for Louise.  It in effect forms the canvas for the artwork that she creates as she carves into the plaster forming imagery.  In our recent Kiss Exhibition we exhibited her cold cast bronze sculpture, Private Dancer (below left), which as a body cast from a young woman pole dancer.  The sculpted figure poses in a thong and is sensuous in her state of undreess.  The narrative imagery shows her performing her gymnastics in hot pants and top;  therefore those who view her performing see her clothed, while the owner of the torso sees her more intimately. 

Taking it outside...
Louise has recently been working on outdoor pieces.  In reality all bronzes are outdoor pieces - they last for thousands of years, and the material allows for change to gradually take place and the sculpture changes, adapts, mellows and weathers along with the changes in the garden. 

Louise Giblin - La Vie en Rose (2017)

Bronze 

56 x 30 x 16 cm

Whilst the gallery is closed during the current Coronovirus crisis, the Gallery Different team are all working from home and we would love to hear from you if you have any questions, feedback on our newsletters, want further information about any of the artists or their works, or have suggestions for future topics.

Lets talk!