(click image for more details)Anatomy # 14, 2006
pin pricked paper
59.4cm x 84cm
Anatomy # 6, 2006
84cm x 59.4cm
Anatomy # 13, 2006
84cm x 59.4cm
Catherine Bertola's subtle interventions are usually responses to – and sited within – specific locations. Sometimes these are empty spaces, whether temporarily vacated prior to renovation or maybe abandoned and destined for demolition. Other times, she works within a gallery or museum context, referencing the architecture, contents or history of the building itself or those of its location.
A meticulous process of un-concealing, both literally and psychologically of past lives, Bertola takes as her starting point the traces and histories of these locations and their long-departed occupants, using their physical residues – such as dust, fabric, wallpaper and, most recently, lace patterns – as the base material for her work. Often this choice of materials is part of a direct examination of the historical role of women in society.
Often mimicking the methods of archaeology or forensic science, Bertola digs beneath the surface both to uncover the past as well as adding and revealing additional layers of meaning. Completing the circle, it is pertinent that often the work itself is eventually erased after a fixed period of time, whether immediately after an exhibition or months or even years later, its eventual fate dependent on the future actions of those other than the artist.
Paul Stone, 2008
find out more about this artist
find out more about Paul Stone
