Tracy Satchwill is a multidisciplinary artist working across moving image, sound, performance and digital processes to explore, through a feminist perspective, historical and contemporary behaviours and perspectives. Her artwork derives from historic narratives and fairytales, which are playful and at times theatrical yet full of multifaceted messages that highlight social issues. Her central concerns
Tracy Satchwill is a multidisciplinary artist working across moving image, sound, performance and digital processes to explore, through a feminist perspective, historical and contemporary behaviours and perspectives. Her artwork derives from historic narratives and fairytales, which are playful and at times theatrical yet full of multifaceted messages that highlight social issues. Her central concerns are the perceptions of women, exploring women’s history and questioning whether historic thoughts and beliefs are still deeply rooted in our society today. Accused witches, hysterical suffragettes and frustrated housewives have all played a part in her artwork.
Satchwill works in new media and first discovered a love for digital collage, creating compositions rich in costumed figures, artefacts and architectural pieces, combining a wide range of materials including photography, archives, mixed media and film. The brightly coloured feminine works are delicately overlaid with textures, markmaking, patterns, text and found objects. Her skills in digital collage has enabled her to explore other digital technologies and techniques such as green screen filmmaking, collage animation and of late augmented reality.
Satchwill’s practice is ideas based and concepts are foremost to the development of her artwork, generated from deep research on themes and philosophies. Her ideas are sparked from site visits, ideologies and/or reading around an era. Her influences vary from Surrealism, Dadaism, Pre-Raphaelites, Eastern European filmmakers to more contemporary artists such as Shana Moulton, Cindy Sherman and Rachel Maclean.
Recently Satchwill has been creating allegoric narratives based in imaginary worlds, which reflect on historical experiences but are within a contemporary context, drawing on the methods of writer Margaret Atwood; ‘if I want to create an imaginary world, I want the toads in it to be real’. Satchwill has a fascination with social science fiction and at an early age was mesmerised by the stories of Brave New World and 1984. She is excited to combine this interest with her love of history to develop new narratives that combine both fantasy and reality.
Tracy Satchwill
Born 1968, London
Lives and works in Norwich
EDUCATION
2017 MA Communication Design (Distinction), Norwich University of the Arts
2010 BA (Hons) Illustration: Design (2:1), University of Plymouth
SELECTED SCREENINGS
2020 Screening of Water Marks at Montreal International History Film Festival (online)
2020 Screening of A Home and a Husband, International Film Week, Elysium Gallery, Swansea (online)
2020 Screening of Girls will be Girls at FaB Festival (online)
2020 Screening of I Died for Beauty on SVOX.TV Film and Video Arts channel (online)
2019 Screening of Water Marks at Norwich Film Festival, Norwich
2018 Screening of Hysterical Females at The Video Art Film Club, Leyden Gallery, London
2018 Screening of Hysterical Females at Ilfracombe Film Festival, Ilfracombe
2018 Screening of Hysterical Females at Wo/, Vane Gallery, Newcastle
2018 Screening of Hysterical Females at Suffrage! Education, Activism and Votes for Women,
Royal Holloway University
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2016 A World of Tales, Anteros Art Foundation, Norwich
2015 Magna Carta Women tour:- Guildhall London Art Gallery, Royal Holloway University, Brunel University, Sarum College, Devon Guild of Craftsmen, Surrey History Centre & others
2014 A World of Murder & Mayhem, Haddon Galleries, Torquay
2013 A Ticket to Devon, Nicky Stevenson Gallery, Brixham
2013 Agatha, a life of ladders and snakes, Burgh Island Hotel, Bigbury-on-Sea
2012 Victims, Suspects & Murderers, Kitchen Gallery, Cockington
2012 Truth or Fallacy, Harbour House, Kingsbridge
2011 Women to Remember, Greenway National Trust, Greenway
2010 Agatha Christie, a life of ladders and snakes, Torre Abbey, Torquay
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2019 Co-op(t) presents: Arty Party 2: Integrate, The West Indian Centre, Coventry
2018 Suffrage! Education, activism and votes for women, Royal Holloway University, Egham
2017 New, NUA, Newest, East Gallery, Norwich
2016 Stopjectify, Gallery Different, London
2016 Cley16: In Norfolk Now, Cley-next-the-sea, Norfolk
2014 The New Georgians, Orleans House Gallery, Richmond
2014 Delamore Arts, Cornwood, Ivybridge
2012/3 Art at the Top, Empire State Building, New York
2012 Slick Brussels, Wild Gallery, Brussels
2011 Life as Theatre, Mint Hotel, Westminster, London
2011 Young Masters, The Sphinx Fine Art Gallery, London
2011 Works on Paper, Science Museum, London
2010 Young Masters Revisited, The Old Truman Brewery, London
2010/1 Exhibitionism: The Art of Display, The Courtauld Institute of Art, Somerset House, London
SELECTED ART FAIRS
2020 Contemporary and Digital Art Fair (online) (with Artizan Gallery)
2013 The Affordable Art Fair, Battersea, London (with Cynthia Corbett Gallery
2012 Art Wynwood, The Art Miami Pavilion, Miami (with Cynthia Corbett Gallery)
2012 London Art Fair, Business Design Centre, London (with Cynthia Corbett Gallery)
2012 Art Palm Beach, County Convention Center, Palm Beach (with Cynthia Corbett Gallery)
2011 The Affordable Art Fair North, Hampstead Heath, London (with Cynthia Corbett Gallery)
COMMISSIONS
2020 Epilepsy and Me (editorial illustration), Wellcome Collection
2020 Frontage (public art), North Lincolnshire Museum
2020 Llywelyn the Last (film), National Trust
2019 The Yag House (film), North Lincolnshire Museum,
2019 Making East London (film), University College of London
2019 So What Next? (animation), Norwich University of the Arts
2018 Water Marks (film), Wells Maltings Trust, Wells next the sea
2018 Ipswich and the Armistice (film), Ipswich & Colchester Museums, Ipswich
RESIDENCIES
2020 Transient, online
2020 North Lincolnshire Museum, Scunthorpe
2019 BLOC_LAB Residency, Lowestoft, Norfolk
GRANTS & BURSARIES
2020 Bursary for mentorship programme with Collusion and NUA
2019 Bursary for the a_n coaching programme
2019 StartEast grant
2015 Royal Holloway University grant
2014 Arts Council England award
AWARDS
2018 Shortlisted for RSA Moving Picture Award
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
2015 Article: My Magna Carta Tribute, My Weekly
2015 Article: This Woman’s Work, Devon Life
2014 Article: Capturing History in my Garden, English Riviera magazine
2014 Article: Beat chats with artist Tracy Satchwill, Beat Magazine
2014 Article: Take Art, Places Magazine
2013 Image: Exeter Living
2011 Image: Aesthetica Creative Works Annual 2012, Aesthetica Publishing
2011 Image: Images 35 Best of British Illustration 2011, AOI Publication
TEACHING
2018 Visiting Lecturer, Norwich University of the Arts
2016 Workshop Instructor, Norwich Cathedral, Norfolk
2013 Workshop Instructor, Devon Guild of Craftsmen, Bovey Tracey
2013/4 Visiting Lecturer, Kingsbridge College, Devon
2011/3 Visiting Lecturer, South Devon College, Devon
2010/3 Workshop Instructor, Create Workshops, Devon
COLLECTIONS
Royal Holloway University of London
Works held in private collections
PREVIOUS PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Project management, marketing, administration and education