Sally Smart's large scale collage installations crafted from cut-out paper and other media give free rein to the narratives they employ to play out across the walls.
Smart has long been concerned with feminine identity from both a contemporary and historical perspective. The methods she employs in creating her work, including stitching and sewing, are often traditionally termed as female practices. Her exploration, in particular of the relationship between the female body and its surroundings, is continued in her recent series of work, The Exquisite Pirate, which stemmed from the simple question - were there any women pirates? As a concept that has developed new meaning in our current age of digital lawlessness, Smart also highlights links between modern and historic issues of immigration and colonial discourses associated with her native Australia.
Utilising installation spaces in a highly illustrative and theatrical manner the work employs a visual style that has elements of the cinematic.
