menopause artworks

solo exhibition, april 2023

print and textile work

‘Halftone, Second Half’ is a solo exhibition of print and textile works that explore the menopause. I was inspired by the images of women used in vintage public health campaigns as well as the design and print techniques used in mid-century matchbox labels.

Halftone, Second Half poster
‘In There, Somewhere’
(screen print to wool)
Hot Girls Throw’
(screen print to wool melton
with hand embroidery)
embroidered text on ‘Hot Girls Throw’
For the exhibit we displayed the
matchboxes that inspired each print
halftone dots test print to wool

‘The Female Brain’
(screen print to wool with
hand embroidery and appliqués)
running stitches and screen printed appliqués
embroidered text
full text of ‘The Female Brain’
etching from The Wellcome Collection on which the print was based
digital sketch used for paper stencil
‘Not Like The Other Girls’
(screen print to paper with hand printed border)
‘They Disappear’
(screen print to wool with
hand embroidery and appliqués)
hand printed zine
created for the show
intro to the zine
preparatory digital sketches for the work,
sold as postcards
affordable art made for the show
(all SOLD at the preview evening)

For the show, I’ve made a series of large scale screen prints to paper and wool melton. Each artwork uses enlarged halftone patterns (hatching, halftone dots and dashes) and was created using simple stencils made from recycled plastic. The prints are combined with written rants – either hand stitched or printed.

‘Halftone, Second half’ launched with a Private View on Friday April 28th between 5-7pm. It is open to the public from Saturday 29th April (alongside Arc Centre’s fantastic Saturday Art Club, where you/your children can do art activities inspired by the exhibition). The exhibition runs until March 19th at Hat Works. Arc’s page on the exhibition is here.

If you’d like to learn how these kinds of prints are made, I’m running a class in which you can learn how to screen print. We’ll be printing onto recycled wood and then making beautiful, bold jewellery. You can book tickets for this class on Eventbrite here.

This was my second solo exhibition and was very kindly funded by a micro-commission from the wonderful Arc, a Stockport arts and mental health charity, as well as GMCA and Stockport Council. I am extremely grateful for their support.