About


Catherine Jack lives and works in Manchester where she creates paper collages.

Catherine’s mixed-media collages reflect feelings of discomfort, grief, loss, and pain. Inspired by surrealism and dada, and using her collection of National Geographic magazines, found photographs, pressed flowers, painted paper, and ephemera, Catherine builds up a new narrative. These characters have been separated from their original context and given a new home, one that may not be so desirable. The formal qualities, such as composition, texture and colour, are considered – with the aim of providing balance and peace to these darker concepts.

Each abstract collage is a jigsaw puzzle waiting to be put together. The elements are brought together into a new composition, where one is encouraged to look at the piece as a whole and again at each individual fragment. There is often a strange sense of humour within the work. By combining seemingly unconnected images, Catherine creates scenes that are open to the interpretation of the viewer. Perhaps these readings are formed by memories inspired by the nostalgic magazine imagery or reminiscent of dreams. Catherine reads her work as having an element of triumph or hope.

In 2022, Catherine co-founded Collage Cult NWUK with Alice Thickett.
 
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