Kate Katomski
Maine, USA
Website
www.katekatomski.com
Social Media
Instagram
How would you describe your work?
I am a multi-media artist. My work involves long-term projects that include research, documentation, drawing, printmaking, painting, sculpture, video projection and installation.
What inspires you?
For the past fifteen years my work has been inspired by abandoned industrial landscapes. My focus has been marble & granite quarries and recently New England textile mills. I research the history of the place, and the stories that lie in what remains of the ruins – it’s an archeology of sorts.
Can you speak about your process?
Process and materials are core to my work. My studio practice involves time spent both in and out of the studio. The first stage of the long-term projects involves fieldwork and historical research, in which I “map” the selected site with photographs & sketches. Then return to the studio and develop the theme of the project with printmaking, sculpture, and video. The body of work is then installed at the selected site.
Prior to Covid, my work included pattern & color found in architectural stone & textiles. Lockdown forced me to work from the kitchen table. Segueing from the earlier work, I began sketching textiles and rugs in my interior space. Since my return to the studio, I developed a new series of silkscreen prints and watercolors from the drawings. I then deconstructed the prints and watercolors by cutting and weaving them together. The result blends the interior world (microcosm) with the exterior world (macrocosm).
How did you become interested in art?
Raised in a family of “makers” we were always doing creative projects – drawing, painting, sewing, knitting, woodworking & theatre. I took my first Art History class in high school and when my teacher/mentor described being inside the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, I knew this was it. Attaching history to the making legitimized it for me, and I was hooked.
Do you have any favorite artists, books, or movies?
There are too many artists that I admire and love to choose a favorite.
I am an avid reader and usually read several books at one time – history, historical novels, biographies, fiction & poetry. To list a favorite is another difficult task, but one I continue to cherish is Iain Pears, ‘The Dream of Scipio” which is a time travel through history. A book of poetry that never gets old for me is Rainer Maria Rilke’s, “Sonnets to Orpheus”.
Movies – don’t get me started on that and my Netflix addiction – especially since Covid.
Do you have any advise for younger artists?
"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination” ~ Albert Einstein
Trust your intuition, take risks, and say “Yes”. Hold on to your passion because there will be peaks and valleys.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
Thank you for your interest! To see more images and learn more about my long-term projects and installations please visit this link on my website.
