Kate Walters 'Mysterious Tissue : Of Flesh and Stars'

K a t e Wa l t e r s M y s t e r i o u s T i s s u e : O f F l e s h a n d S t a r s

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f o r t h e a n i m a l s

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Introduct ion

Around 17 ,300 years ago, a g roup of Pa laeol i th ic

hunters ventured into a cave sys tem in what i s now

South western France. Journey ing deep into i t s dark ,

womb-l ike passages they eventua l ly ar r ived at a space

where, by the l ight of a feeble, gut ter ing f lame, they

began to pa int . The mot ivat ion for these works has

forever d isappeared into the mists of t ime, but the i r

locat ion sug gests that the aesthet ic funct ions that

have come to infor m and sur round the making of

ar t had l i t t le inf luence on the i r product ion. Instead

they seem to have had a ver y d i f ferent purpose and

intent ion, emerg ing f rom that space between waking

and s leeping , dream and rea l i ty ; the outcome of a

magica l , shamanis t ic r i tua l that resu l ted in the cave

wal l s be ing covered wi th dazz l ing , images of horses,

deer, g iant oxen, and the hunters themselves, in a

v isua l re-order ing of the untamed wor ld outs ide the

cave ’s darkness.

Kate Wal ters ’ pa int ings are a l so concerned wi th the

interact ion of the animal and human wor lds ; depict ing

in raw and g raphic immediacy a re la t ionship that i s

both int imate and nur tur ing. Deer, horses and female

f igures are shown co-ex is t ing in an a lmost pr imeval

s ta te of mutua l , interconnected har mony. In the i r

i conog raphy of nur ture and lov ing g race human and

an imal bodies merge and combine, as the female

sub jec t s o f these works t ake on and adopt the

character of the i r an imal gu ides : the watchfulness

and t r uth of the deer, the protect ion and nur ture of

the horse. In th is new wor ld , there i s no separat ion

b e t we e n h u m a n a n d a n i m a l , o n l y a p o r o u s t i s s u e o f

sk in that both de l ineates and d isso lves ind iv idua l

boundar ies.

L ike the work of other shamanic ar t i s ts, Wal ters ’

pa in t ings g ive for m to an unseen wor ld tha t i s

inv is ib le to a l l but the most sens i t ive sp i r i t . Her ro le

as an ar t i s t i s not to re-present the v is ib le, but to

capture the f leet ing g l impses that she i s g iven in

v is ions and dreams of another rea l i ty ; of the inv is ib le

matr ix that connects a l l l iv ing th ings. For these are

not the Freudian dreams that dredge the subconsc ious

for suppressed fee l ings, but those messengers f rom

beyond that p ierce the por ta ls of s leep wi th the i r

prophet ic ins ights.

Ref lect ing the anc ient t rad i t ion of the Sacred Feminine,

Wal ters ’ pa int ings are spaces of nur ture, b i r th ing

pools in which her ins ights are embodied . The f igures

of her deer, horses and human subjects emerg ing into

pools of deep red pa int l ike dreams br ing ing to v iv id

l i fe the unconsc ious void of s leep. Their features

de l icate ly rea l i sed through dynamic l ines and areas of

subt le l ight to provide tanta l iz ing g l impses of a rea l i ty

that i s both insubstant ia l and myster ious. Occas iona l ly

the f igures are te thered by l ines that f low out to the

p icture edges, umbi l ica l cords of l ight suppor t ing

these v is ions of t r uth as they are brought to b i r th in

the darkness of our unconsc ious, s leeping wor ld . For

an instant these gent le deer and horses are caught in

our rea l i ty, the i r v is ion of beauty and love a l lowing us

to t ranscend the death focussed gaze wi th which we

humans gaze upon the wor ld .

Richard Davey. 2011

Whispering to the Silent Sky . watercolour, conte and gum arabic on gesso on paper . 47 x 37 cm

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While Men Sleep . watercolour, conte and gum arabic on gesso on paper . 34 x 25 cm

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We Are Inside Each Other . watercolour, conte and gum arabic on gesso on paper . 36 x 26 cm

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Sharing a Body . watercolour, conte and gum arabic on gesso on paper . 35 x 51 cm

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Speaking the Same Language . watercolour, conte and gum arabic on gesso on paper . 44 x 29 cm

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Of Flesh and Stars . watercolour, conte and gum arabic on gesso on paper . 45 x 30 cm

Looking Out from his Being . watercolour, conte and gum arabic on gesso on paper . 45 x 30 cm

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Becoming the Stillness of Animals . watercolour, conte and gum arabic on gesso on paper . 35 x 25 cm

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Madonna of the Forest . watercolour, conte and gum arabic on gesso on paper . 33 x 25 cm

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Eve Holding the World . watercolour, conte and gum arabic on gesso on paper . 22 x 23 cm

Sheltering Heart . watercolour, conte and gum arabic on gesso on paper . 30 x 41 cm

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Learning All Thier Ways . watercolour, conte and gum arabic on gesso on paper . 19 x 17 cm

Being Held (Above and Below) . watercolour, conte and gum arabic on gesso on paper . 18 x 18 cm

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Not to be Cut Off . watercolour, conte and gum arabic on gesso on paper . 19 x 18 cm

They are all Here . watercolour, conte and gum arabic on gesso on paper . 19 x 18 cm

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The Turrets of the Impossible . watercolour, conte and gum arabic on gesso on paper . 51 x 32 cm

Saluting Venus . watercolour, conte and gum arabic on gesso on paper . 45 x 30 cm

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Clothed in Blue . watercolour, conte and gum arabic on gesso on paper . 49 x 39 cm

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God Knows About the Animals . watercolour, conte and gum arabic on gesso on paper . 55 x 66 cm

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My Portable Homeland . watercolour, conte and gum arabic on gesso on paper . 51 x 72 cm

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Singing me Through While I Sleep . watercolour, conte and gum arabic on gesso on paper . 51 x 72 cm

Legs of my Legs What do They See . watercolour, conte and gum arabic on gesso on paper . 67 x 53 cm

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Body of my Body . watercolour, conte and gum arabic on gesso on paper . 69 x 53 cm

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a l l wo r k s 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1

KATE WALTERS

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

1977/8 Foundation course, Byam Shaw, London1978/81 B.A. Hons Fine Art, Brighton Polytechnic1984/5 PGCE Art and Design, Brighton Polytechnic1996-00 Post-graduate Diploma in Fine Art. University College Falmouth

AWARDS, RESEARCH & CONFERENCES

2011 Pari Centre for New Learning, Siena: Art, Science & The Sacred2008 Short-listed for The Jerwood Drawing Prize (2 works)2008 Burton Sweet Prize, Black Swan Open, Somerset (Joint winner) 2009 Research trips to Venice Biennale, Rome, Documenta, Berlin and Frankfurt2007 Recipient of second major award from Arts Council England, South West Research trips to Venice Biennale, Rome, Documenta, Berlin and Frankfurt2006 Independent delegate at Artes Mundi International Conference in Wales2005 Awarded travel bursary to Venice Biennale by Arts Council & Creative Skills Research trips to Venice Biennale, Rome, Documenta, Berlin and Frankfurt2004 Recipient of first major award from Arts Council England, South West2003 Short-listed for The Jerwood Drawing Prize

RECENT SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2011 Mysterious Tissue: Of Flesh and Stars, Millennium2010 Ramp Wall, The Exchange, Penzance The Body Pours Out Prayers, Truro Cathedral2009 Appledore Visual Arts Festival, Devon Surface Gallery, Nottingham2008 First Breath, Last Breath, Waterloo Gallery, London Seeing the Shadow, Goldfish Fine Art, Penzance2007 Approaching Rapture, Goldfish Fine Art2006 Seeing with the Single Eye, Goldfish Fine Art, Penzance 2005 Phoenix Gallery, Brighton 2004 Transitions 5, Newlyn Art Gallery

RECENT JURIED EXHIBITIONS

2011 The Discerning Eye, Mall Galleries, London Beasts Royal, Viktor Wynd Fine Art, London2010 Ludlow Open, selected by Dr. Yvonne Crossley & David Roberts House of Fairy Tales, Millenium, curated by Alice Herrick & Joseph Clarke, including live drawing broadcast to the ICA, London Exquisite Trove, curated by Alice Herrick & Hadrian Piggott, Newlyn Art 2009 Artsway Open 09, curated by Peter Bonnell, Sway, Hampshire Visual Exhibition for Art of Ideas II, curated by Stephen Snoddy2008 Jerwood Drawing Prize, curators included Anita Taylor and Emma Dexter NSA Drawing Show, The Exchange, Penzance, selected by Kate Macfarlane and Mary Doyle of The Drawing Room, London2007 Images of the Divine, Orleans House, London2006 The Discerning Eye, Mall Galleries, London Margins, Sherborne Open, Sherborne House, Dorset Cupola Gallery [Sheffield] Open Exhibition2006 Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, London 2005 NSA Critic’s Choice, selected by Prof. Norbert Lynton2005 Artsway Open 05, curated by Peter Bonnell, Sway, Hampshire2004 Critic’s Choice, selected show by John Russell Taylor, Newlyn Art Gallery2003 Art Works in Mental Health, RCA 2003 and touring Jerwood Drawing Prize, curators included Anita Taylor and Emma Dexter2003 Art, Age and Gender; Foundation for Women’s Art, touring show

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2011 Totem Body, The Crypt Gallery, St. Pancras’ Church, London PRINT! The Exchange Gallery, Penzance Landscape of Change, London London Art Fair, Business Design Centre, Islington2010 Blasphemous, Museum of Contemporary Art, Dublin Winter Exhibition, Millenium Centrespace Gallery, Bristol, with John Keys

a l l wo r k s 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1

2009 Salisbury Open Drawing. Double Vision, Exchange Gallery, Penzance, (NSA), with Karen Lorenz The Plough Arts Centre Open Drawing, Devon Cornish Connection, the NSA at the RWA, Bristol Surface Gallery, Nottingham, Open 2 ‘Particles Particles’ The Women’s Art Show, Fairfields Arts Centre, Hampshire London Art Fair, Business Design Centre, Islington2008 The Women’s Art Show, Fairfields Arts Centre, Hampshire London Art Fair, Business Design Centre, Islington Keighley Arts Factory, Yorkshire, with Susan Stark2007 The Women’s Art Show, Fairfields Arts Centre, Hampshire London Art Fair, Business Design Centre, Islington Art Now Cornwall? Goldfish Contemporary Fine Art2006 London Art Fair, Business Design Centre, Islington Sefton Open, Atkinson Gallery, Southport2005 Tricycle Gallery, London, with Orly Orbach2004 Newlyn Art Gallery, Drawing? Sefton Open, Atkinson Gallery, Southport2004 Royal West of England Academy2003 Conflict & Resolution, Harbour House Gallery, Devon2001 Old Town Mill, Lyme Regis, with Nick Evans1999 Bridport Arts Centre, with Karen Lorenz.

EMPLOYMENT AND EXPERIENCE

2011 Art in Action, Oxfordshire, demonstrating to the public2010 Drawing Research Network International conference, Brighton House of Fairy Tales at Port Eliot Festival Leading drawing workshops in Cornwall for adults Part-time mentor with RIO (Real Ideas Organization)2009 Art in Action, Oxfordshire, demonstrating to the public Part-time mentor with RIO (Real Ideas Organization)2008 Art in Action, Oxfordshire, demonstrating to the public Exposure: six days in the Engine Room at the Exchange, Penzance2004 – 09 Visiting artist at Cornwall College on Foundation Degree courses1986 – 97 Teaching, Acting Head of Department, Environmental Education and Art history in two secondary schools in Dorset and Somerset

PUBLICATIONS, ESSAYS & REVIEWS

2011 Mysterious Tissue: Of Flesh and Stars catalogue, Richard Davey, Millennium Tate Guide Totem Body catalogue, Jurgen Werner Kremer2010 Ludlow Open catalogue Force of Nature’ catalogue Art in Action catalogue2009 Visual catalogue, Arts & Business Art in Action catalogue Becoming Sanguine, essay on Kate’s work by Professor Penny Florence2008 Revolver Seeing the Shadow catalogue, Goldfish Jerwood Drawing Prize catalogue 2003 What do you feel?, Institute of International Visual Arts and A Space Approaching Rapture catalogue, Rupert Loydell, Fine Art Art in Action catalogue Galleries, illustrated review by Laura Gascoigne Proof, Journal Extract and illustrated review by Stephen Lee2007 Move, fully illustrated catalogue, Goldfish at Vyner Street, Illustrated feature in Sussex Life Margins catalogue, Sherborne House Cover page of a-n magazine2006 Discerning Eye catalogue Seeing with the Single Eye, catalogue, Partou Zia, Goldfish Fine Art Art Works in Mental Health catalogue Art, Age & Gender, Foundation for Women’s Art show catalogue

Drawings and paintings are in private collections in the U.K., Australia and Europe and the Irish Museum of Contemporary Art.

Full elected member of Newlyn Society of Artists (NSA)

Published by Millennium to coincide with the exhibition ‘Mysterious Tissue : Of Flesh and Stars’ by Kate Walters

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publishers

Portrait detail on page 24 by Nik Strangelove (www.studiostrangelove.co.uk)

Printed by Active Colour (www.activecolour.co.uk)

ISBN 978-1-905772-49-0

S t r e e t - a n - P o lS t . I v e s C o r n w a l l0 1 7 3 6 7 9 3 1 2 1m a i l @ m i l l e n n i u m g a l l e r y. c o . u kw w w . m i l l e n n i u m g a l l e r y. c o . u k

M I L L E N N I U M

Ah, not to be cut off,not through the slightest partitionshut out from the law of the stars.The inner - what is it?if not intensified sky,hurled through with birds and deepwith the winds of homecoming.

Rainer Maria Rilke