| (c) 2007 KATE CHRISTOPHER | KATE@KATECHRISTOPHER.COM | 651.653.1553 |
About Kate
My current body of work began in 1997 when I moved to a house
outside the city, had more studio space and was able to start
experimental gas firing in my backyard. The series of figures were
called "The Watchers in the Woods."
The figures attempt to communicate the experience of being
human; the sense that however closely we may be thrown together
by circumstances we are essentially unknown to one another. We
are each on a private journey in search of something many of us
can't name - the spiritual longing for place, belonging and meaning
in our lives. I find beauty in a puzzled look - a knot of the mind -
expressed sometimes a simple tilt of the head or expression of the
eyes.
My figurative sculptures attempt to express diverse emotions
such as awe, grace, alienation, hope and longing; emotions that can
be seen in people during the silences when they think no one is
looking. I capture those moments and the daily manifestations of the
spirit that the viewer recognizes from their own experience of life.
Some of these moments are lonely or painful and some are
transformative.
Although I primarily work in clay, occasionally I will have a
ceramic piece recreated in metal if I feel it will be enhanced by the
elegance of bronze.
I find the joy of working with clay and the limitless variety of forms
and techniques intriguing. I am currently exploring low fire salt
fuming. I work on the surface of the figures by buffing the clay to
varying degrees and using different clay terrasigilatas or glaze
washes to cover parts of the surface. The experimental firing
process truly transforms the pieces. They appear aged and
weathered, as if from life experiences. The firing technique is risky
because it is collaboration between the fire and me that I cannot fully
control. It is this balance between control and creative accident that
happens in the studio every day that fascinates me and brings me
back to the work again and again.
outside the city, had more studio space and was able to start
experimental gas firing in my backyard. The series of figures were
called "The Watchers in the Woods."
The figures attempt to communicate the experience of being
human; the sense that however closely we may be thrown together
by circumstances we are essentially unknown to one another. We
are each on a private journey in search of something many of us
can't name - the spiritual longing for place, belonging and meaning
in our lives. I find beauty in a puzzled look - a knot of the mind -
expressed sometimes a simple tilt of the head or expression of the
eyes.
My figurative sculptures attempt to express diverse emotions
such as awe, grace, alienation, hope and longing; emotions that can
be seen in people during the silences when they think no one is
looking. I capture those moments and the daily manifestations of the
spirit that the viewer recognizes from their own experience of life.
Some of these moments are lonely or painful and some are
transformative.
Although I primarily work in clay, occasionally I will have a
ceramic piece recreated in metal if I feel it will be enhanced by the
elegance of bronze.
I find the joy of working with clay and the limitless variety of forms
and techniques intriguing. I am currently exploring low fire salt
fuming. I work on the surface of the figures by buffing the clay to
varying degrees and using different clay terrasigilatas or glaze
washes to cover parts of the surface. The experimental firing
process truly transforms the pieces. They appear aged and
weathered, as if from life experiences. The firing technique is risky
because it is collaboration between the fire and me that I cannot fully
control. It is this balance between control and creative accident that
happens in the studio every day that fascinates me and brings me
back to the work again and again.
| Artist's Statement |
