Sue Stradling – My Art Work

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As a photographer, I am interested in expressing emotion and identity through art.  I work with people who are exposed to stigma and stereotypical views about them – whether it is because they are affected by mental health problems, physical disabilities, ageing, racial issues or gender.  My art work reflects my experiences with these people, and some of the work is co-created with them in a participatory setting.

Here are some recent examples of my art work:

This work was carried out during a participatory workshop that was funded by Western Valleys Community First.  It was co-created by the participants.  It explores the stereotypes faced by people with mental health problems, and how we introject the felt stigma and shame.

This art work was exhibited at Jacob’s Gallery, Cardiff, as part of the X Exhibition for my MA Arts Practice (Arts, Health and Wellbeing).

Teaching digital photography to refugees at the African Community Centre, the group decided on a theme for their digital project.  They chose to challenge the way that refugees were typically viewed, and wanted to show that they could bring their culture, skills and personality into this country.

An exhibition of this project took place in Refugee Week 2016.

This project aims to explore how older women are portrayed in the media and the impact that this has on their self esteem and body image, and also to gather views and experiences about the positive values of ageing.  It was carried out as part of my MA Arts Practice (Arts, Health and Wellbeing), and was exhibited at Oriel y Bont Gallery.

As part of a participatory workshop, a positive affirmations calendar was designed and produced.  The aim of the calendar was to challenge the stereotypical views that others may have of people affected by poor mental health, and to improve wellbeing with monthly positive affirmations.  The work was co-created with participants, who designed the photoshoots, made props and accessories, and wrote affirmations.

This work challenges the difficult issues that can lead to trauma and stigmatisation, creating an exhibition of artwork using textiles and photography. This work aimed to reveal the hidden nature of domestic abuse, against the apparent facade of domesticity.

Using Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, abusive 'hidden' messages have been found using redactive poetry, and used to depict the underling patriarchal and objectifying influences of domestic abuse. 

This work was part of my final exhibition for my MA Arts Practice (Art, Health and Wellbeing).