[1] Bertola studied Fine Art at Newcastle University before going on to work on multiple commissions and exhibitions both nationally and internationally.
[2] Bertola follows in the tradition of British artists such as Cornelia Parker and Rachel Whiteread “who excavate the landscape and narratives of the past and present, exploring histories through objects, place and recordings.” [3] Bertola's site specific artworks look beyond the surface of everyday objects and buildings to uncover forgotten and invisible histories of places and people.
[6] A following theme found in a number of Bertola's works is the historic role of women in society, their craft production and labour.
Using the dust and debris she collected from the floor and walls of the former office of 19th Century engineer George Stephenson, she traced the decorative pattern and outline of a Victorian hearth rug.
Bertola used 42 kg of table salt to transform the Great Hall's floor at Temple Newsam by recreating the pattern of an early 17th Century woven linen tablecloth from the house's collection.
[8] The pathway had allowed staff to transport goods around the house and the choreography in the films reflects the repetitive nature of this daily work.
Earlier in her career, Bertola explored the labour of women in Bluestockings (2009), a series of drawings of the artists' lace tights.
[12] The production of lace is rooted in anonymous female labour and the material itself has become characteristically feminine, domestic and sexualised through time.