CAMI O'HAGAN

ARTWORK

Hybrid Practices, Photomontage and Sustainability Work

Hybrid Practices

Since September 2023, O'Hagan has developed her creative practice by working through a hybrid medium of Collaged Printmaking. Combining her skills in Digital Montage and Screen Printing - allowing her to produce work at a larger scale.

'From the Top Down' (December 2023) Size: W53cm x H230cm (Collage Screen Printed Scroll- Banner)

n 1988 during the peak of the HIV/AIDS epidemic Margaret Thatcher; the reigning Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative party introduced section 28, an anti-LGBTQ+ piece of legislation that banned the encouragement of homosexuality in schools within the UK. Writer for Tribune Magazine; Liam Beattie describes the impact of section 28 as "robbed generations of LGBT+ people in Britain of the happy and supportive teenage years they could have had." (Beattie, 2023)

20 years after section 28 had been repealed in 2003, history repeats itself – taking inspiration from his predecessor; Rishi Sunak has made his own remarks on the LGBTQ+ community, specifically transgender and non-binary people. At this year’s Tory Conference, the Prime Minister stated "a man is a man and a woman is a woman, that's just common sense." (Sunak and The Independent, 2023)

O'Hagan has created this scroll banner in response to these transphobic and gender biased comments, this artwork is the final piece to an experimental project, produced through a hybrid medium of collaged printmaking – O'Hagan has digitally manipulated their own imagery and written text along with found imagery and typography.

Inspired by creatives like Robert Rauschenberg, Derek Jarman and Legacy Russell, using historical contexts from old master artworks and depictions of genderless communities from the years B.C to explore how westernisation, colonialism and patriarchal culture have negatively impacted the transgender and gender non-conforming communities.

Recently having discovered they did not fit into the stereotypical gender binary of female – O'Hagan now identifies as she/they, which has prompted the creation of this piece ‘From the Top Down’.

Cami O'Hagan producing 'From the Top Down' Scroll-Banner in December 2023, with assistance from Craig Tattersall.

Salford Printmaking Studios

'Dismantling Queer Oppression' (February 2024)

'Dismantling Queer Oppression' is part of new screen print series, produced as a continuation of her previous project 'From the Top Down' (December 2023). O'Hagan is taking a different approach. Attempting to highlight elements of positivity and queer joy, through re-using old materials in search of new and sustainable methods in producing through the medium of screen printing.

Sustainability Work

This project emphasises O'Hagan's dedication in experimenting with their creative process to improve the environmental impact of the photographic and arts industry.

'Exploring Possibilities' (July 2023) Size: A1 (Photomontage)

This mixed-media artwork has been produced for a recent sustainability project, the main objective was to reduce the environmental impact of the photographic industry. Created through the artistic medium of photomontage, combining this artistic process with forms of communication and psychology including semiotics and Gestalt theory. Working under the themes of feminism, gender and politics.

Digital Montage

'Cost of Living Carnival' Series (2022)

This six part digital montage series was created in response to the conservative governments mistreatment of England's working class communities during the current cost of living crisis. Combining found imagery with her own digitally taken photographs through digital manipulation, O'Hagan has implemented a satirical approach when creating these to highlight the careless decisions of the Prime Minister and his MP's, as if this situation is a joke to them.

'Cost of Living Carnival' (December 2022)

'F-unemployment' (December 2022)

'House for the Homeless?' (December 2022)

'Ted Talk with Rishi' (December 2022)

'To Heat or to Eat?' (December 2022)

'What is a Luxury item in 2022?' (December 2022)

'COVID 19' Series (2020)

Cami has created this digital montage series to call attention to the greed of the Northern Irish politicians during the COVID19 pandemic. Created through darkroom processes and digital manipulation techniques.