Truth or Fallacy
Tracy Satchwill
Saturday 21 - Sunday 29 April 2012
10 am - 5 pm
Rachel Swain reads from 'A Mermaid's Melody'
on Wednesday 25, Saturday 28 & Sunday 29 April, 11 am – 3 pm
Melody the Mermaid in the Gallery
An exhibition of playful theatrical collages which explore the blurred line between truth and fiction in the relationship between historical events and the storytelling process that follows. Tracy also launches a new picture book, A Mermaid's Melody, written by Rachel Swain and illustrated by Tracy Satchwill, and there will be readings by the author, in full mermaid guise.
Tracy Satchwill's work develops from a passion for capturing a historical moment in time, and is created by combining photography with illustration, print and found objects. Scenes are brought to life by photographing real-life models, then digitally adding, piece by piece, costumes, props and backgrounds to create a contemporary collage. Subjects include Marie Antoinette, Agatha Christie and other women throughout history.
Tracy takes her inspiration from the original toy theatres of the nineteenth century, and a love of historical narrative. For each new project Tracy embarks on a period of research into historical fact, location, costume, textiles, architecture, art and way of life.
Tracy's work takes the form of both two and three dimensional theatre sets built into boxed frames, and explores a number of themes:
'The Court Life of Marie Antoinette' includes colourful and ornate Victorian toy theatre sets capturing the splendour of the French Queen's life. These works have recently been shown at The Courtauld Institute of Art.
In 'Agatha Christie – a Life of Ladders and Snakes' Tracy uses a staircase theme to document the ups and downs of the crime writer's life. The series of nine images was created for the Agatha Christie Festival in Torbay in September 2010.
Inpired by metaphor, oddity and tales of historically significant women throughout history, 'Forgotten Women' includes ten less well-known British women: a highwaywoman, a king's mistress, an empress, a soothsayer, a countess, a learned lady, an artist, a cookery writer, a Welsh promoter and a music hall singer.
New works include 'Working the Red Carpet', a playful collage which illustrates the Kings and Queens of England interacting with one another on the red carpet, and 'The Golden Palace', which focuses on the power and greed of the medieval church where monks, nuns and bishops subtly act out the seven deadly sins.
Recently graduated with a BA (Hons) in Illustration at the University of Plymouth, Tracy has exhibited at the Courtauld Institute of Art, the Old Truman Brewery, the Sphinx Fine Art Gallery, and at various art fairs throughout London. She has also exhibited in New York, and has staged shows a little closer to home at Torre Abbey and Greenway National Trust.
During 2012 Tracy's Agatha Christie collection will be touring the American Art Fairs, starting at Art Palm Beach, Florida.