Woodstock, focuses on the inhabitants of a small city and its surrounding area in Ontario, Canada. For over a decade Sadie has immersed herself in North American culture through regular visits. Her response is that of an inside-outsider, formed through family connections and an evolving sense of the place. The work is inspired by themes of immigration, colonialism and history through the personal experience of family members; her own reactions to a partially realised promise of a new life. Woodstock is a creative response to the social dynamics and cultural identifiers of a place known locally as ‘The Friendly City’. Linked through maternal ties to the artist, the work is rooted in a personal exploration of her family’s traumatic past and its lasting effect.
Sadie Catt photographs intimacy and relationships through a documentary approach to everyday life. Inspired by themes of maternity, identity and a female perspective, Sadie creates a personal connection between subject and viewer through the use of naturally lit portraiture, landscape and detail.