The exhibition is a series of photographs and texts by Jo Spence juxtaposed with Oreet Ashery's film installations. Both artists make work around their experience of living with illness and life limiting long term health conditions. But this is a small part of what they are exploring. Jo Spence regarded her work as a political tool which she used to challenge stereotypes of female behaviour and ideas of class which govern women's lives. She was using her photography to do this before she became ill and continued to do so whilst ill. Both Oreet Ashery and Jo Spence 'use art as a tool to question forms of representation and to amplify their own and others' stories.' 

 

Seeing this exhibition for the second time and in the light of the article I have just read 'Narrative psychology, trauma and the study of self/identity' by Michele Crossley altered my perception of the exhibition. It made me aware of how both these artists are taking control of the narrative of illness and retelling it, not inside their heads but making it visible in their art. Jo Spence talks about re-inventing herself and Oreet Ashery, who is younger speaks about this idea being what drew her to the work of Jo Spence.