Eye, the Witness concludes Charlotte Cooper’s year-long residency at Hogarth’s House with a body of work that continues her critical inquiry into the dynamic relationship between art and psychoanalysis, with particular emphasis on female narratives and interpretations.
Her practice is an ongoing investigation into the complex relational bonds between humans, and between species, across time. Cooper’s particular interest lies in a joint process of ‘co-creation’ identified by the psychoanalyst and feminist theorist Bracha L. Ettinger who critiques the classical, individualistic notion of subjectivity, instead proposing that subjectivity is formed in relation to others, rather than in isolation. The exhibition title echoes this ethical and creative exchange which results in the transformation of both subjects, with the “eye” both a perceptual witness and a poetic doubling of the self, shaped through encounter with the other.
This particular body of work evolved from the artist’s experience of the fabric tokens left by mothers who were forced to give up their babies to the Foundling Hospital. It also draws on Cooper’s discovery of the historical connection between the hospital and William Hogarth – one of the charity’s founding governors – who not only supported its mission but also fostered several Foundling children at his Chiswick home.
The two central works employ online footage from the ‘Still Face Experiment,’ a psychological study highlighting the vital role of reciprocal interaction between infants and caregivers. The first is a moving image piece, meticulously reconstructed frame by frame, capturing the eyes of the two subjects as the experiment plays out. The second is a ‘patchwork’ print of all 1000 frames, printed on delicate mulberry paper, using photolithography. Hung from a single hook on the wall, the piece seems to hover between being an object and an apparition, the residue of something. The work plays with the conventions of how art is framed and presented. While it is “hung” on a wall, it deliberately eschews the rigidity of a traditional frame. Cooper challenges viewers’ expectations and draws attention to the physical support structures that typically are taken for granted.
All works are made using Kozo paper. Crafted from mulberry fibre, the material constitutes a link to the ancient mulberry tree that still stands in the garden of Hogarth’s House – a living witness to the histories of the site. But the mulberry also anchors the exhibition’s exploration of non-human entanglement, specifically the relationship between humans and Bombyx Mori, the domesticated silk moth, whose only food source are the leaves of the mulberry. These insects, bred for thousands of years for silk production, now exist entirely dependent on humans. Cooper uses this fragile dyad as a metaphor for power, control, and the dissolution of autonomy under human dominance.
Following on from Hogarth, who pioneered printing in series to convey narratives of social commentary, Charlotte Cooper’s process of assembling and layering emphasises the accumulation of meaning over time. Each printed fragment represents a singular encounter, bearing the trace of touch and the intimate labour of making. Cut and pieced back together again her works mirror the psychological work of damage and repair – as each human link carries with it a vestige of all others that came before and holds the possibility of the infinite links to come.
About Charlotte Cooper
Charlotte Cooper is a UK-based artist whose work explores the intersection of art and psychoanalysis through traditional printmaking techniques. She specialises in monotype printing, lithography, and etching, which she combines to create large-scale, sculptural installations. Her practice also extends into digital animation and artist’s books.
She graduated with a Print MA from The Royal College of Art in 2023. Her work has been exhibited at Southwark Park Gallery and at Woolwich and Bainbridge Print Fairs. She has recently been awarded a spot in Plaintiff Press’ bookbinding and publication fellowship programme and has work held in the V&A and RCA permanent collections.
