Caro Halford

Artist Caro Halford’s new series of collage artwork is based on her research into overlooked women from the past, specifically the Lady Etchers of the Long Eighteenth Century. Yet in her new work, she combines a wide variety of sources. In this new collage work, she makes a nod to feminist art icons, as well as high fashion and her recent performances at the Tate Britain and National Portrait Gallery.

For this particular collage artwork ‘News’, Halford has meticulously pieced together found imagery and photographs to create a multi-faceted piece. Within her new body of work, Halford felt a real urge to unravel women artists in general. Initially, Halford began to look at feminist artists of the 1950s and 1960s, Helen Chadwick or Martha Rosler. As well as these artists, Halford began to delve into women’s art-making during the 18th Century. Importantly, during this time she noticed a large gap lacking in representation and acknowledgment of female artists whatsoever.

Subsequently, Halford decided to focus her new work on underrepresented women of the past using household materials. She uses domestic objects and materials to hand to make these works, which in many ways personalises the work. She plays with the image and text in a playful and imaginative way, crucially leading her to look at artists such as Sophie Calle. In a similar vein to Calle, in ‘News’, Halford works with words and imagery through combining them whilst attaching message to the work. Simultaneously, Halford utilises text to draw people’s attention to the work and to make them listen. In many ways, this is much alike the many works she has drawn inspiration from.