Seventh Gallery and the Women’s Art Register Artist in Residence program are pleased to present an exhibition of works by established artist Kate Just, entitled CONSTRUCTION/WORK. The exhibition is inspired by Just’s recent stint as an artist in residence with Seventh and W.A.R.

For the residency and project at W.A.R., Kate undertook many visits to the W.A.R. archives and examined examples of political text across books, files, magazines, and artworks. During her research, Kate came upon an advertisement for a curated performance exhibition at George Paton Gallery in 1980 called Women at Work, which inspired her exhibition. The advertisement featured a hand-drawn yellow and black sign with the bold text WOMEN AT WORK, riffing off ‘MEN AT WORK’ construction signs.

Kate expanded upon the idea of construction work as a parallel metaphor for feminism—something hands-on, focused on process, progress, and the active reshaping, reforming, and improving of social structures. Just’s installation at Seventh Gallery presents the results: a series of eight industrially produced construction and road safety signs inscribed with political messages. Texts across the signs include Rough Road Ahead, Danger: Freedom of Expression Under Threat, Protect Trans Lives, and Intersectional.

Large text-based hanging machine-knitted blankets bear the repeated words CONSTRUCTION and WORK WORK WORK, referencing the ongoing work required of feminism and political activism. Two hand-knitted panels bearing the words Women at Work and Women’s Work play on stereotypical conceptions of gendered labour. A green and white sweater bearing the text KEEP YOUR LAWS OFF MY BODY spins in the space. Produced by Just in 2022 in response to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the garment makes its debut in an exhibition space and flags the continuing human rights infringements by the US government.

Reflecting on the residency and exhibition works, Just states:

“These are stifling and inhumane times. The show springboards from a text in the archive, but hopes to highlight the ongoing active and constructive work artists and activists can do to reshape our social and political landscape.”

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