Su Richardson

Su Richardson radically reimagined the domestic sphere, turning the intimate languages of crochet and textile work into powerful tools of feminist critique and artistic expression. Throughout her career, she challenged conventional notions of femininity and domesticity by transforming traditional female skills into critical and conceptual art forms. By doing so, she expanded the reach of feminist art in the 1970s, integrating her own experiences of motherhood, household responsibilities, and everyday labor into a practice that was both personal and socially engaged. Richardson’s work is characterized by a playful, subversive sensibility that blends humor with critical commentary, turning ordinary domestic materials into instruments of reflection and resistance. She explored the intersections of personal narrative, gendered labor, and social critique, demonstrating how craft could carry intellectual and political weight. Her aesthetic anticipated later countercultural movements that fused craft with public and performative interventions, such as yarn bombing and guerrilla knitting. By combining visual wit, domestic objects, and conceptual rigor, Richardson opened new pathways for subsequent generations of female British artists. Her practice remains a powerful example of how the ordinary and the personal can become potent tools for critique, engagement, and creative experimentation, emphasizing the transformative potential of art rooted in lived experience and feminist inquiry. ...

Founded in 2012, Richard Saltoun Gallery specialises in contemporary art, with an emphasis on feminist, conceptual and performance artists from the 1960s onwards. It is guided by a strong focus on rediscovering the work of important yet under-recognised artists through presentations at both its locations, online exhibitions, events and participation in art fairs around the world. Since its inception, Richard Saltoun Gallery has been driven by an interest in serving a wider purpose and is now recognised for its critically and socially-engaged programme. In 2019, the gallery launched a year-long initiative titled 100% Women that aimed to address gender inequality in the art world and encourage wider industry action through debate, dialogue and collaboration. In 2021, it dedicates all exhibitions to the writings of German-born, American political philosopher Hannah Arendt in a 12-month programme On Hannah Arendt to confront some of the most perplexing socio-political issues of our time. The gallery is considered a leader in its representation of female artists, from avant-garde pioneers of the 1960s and ‘70s, such as Eleanor ANTIN, Renate BERTLMANN and Gina PANE, to a younger generation of female artists including Silvia GIAMBRONE and Florence PEAKE. It continues to support female artists through extensive research, partnerships and solo presentations at the gallery and online. Additionally, Richard Saltoun is noted for its support of pioneering artists who have pushed the conceptual and disciplinary boundaries in which they work, from LI Yuan-chia, one of the earliest proponents of abstract and conceptual art in Taiwan, to ULAY, the late photographer and performance artist, as well as British artists Victor BURGIN, Rose ENGLISH, John HILLIARD, Peter KENNARD, Bob LAW, Penny SLINGER and more. The gallery preserves the legacy of artists through its representation of artist estates, including Helen CHADWICK, David HALL, Alexis HUNTER, Bob LAW, Marinella PIRELLI, Jo SPENCE, Barbara LEVITTOUX-ŚWIDERSKA and Shelagh WAKELY, amongst others. The gallery acts as a consultant to major museums and public institutions and advises private and corporate collections. It actively documents the work of its artists through the production of publications and frequently stages talks, screenings and performances. ...