Columbus, OH
Inspired by folklore, mythology & the human form, I use figural subjects to evoke a mysterious familiarity & haunting beauty. I build layers of antique & vintage paper collage around my original ink washed drawings onto wooden panels. Shading is done with watercolor & inks, with fine details in colored pencil. I use traditional gold leaf as homage to the byzantine style. I reference my favorite art styles & movements throughout history. Thematically I incorporate my love of the spirit as well as the strength of the feminine. I address symbolic, cultural, historical & spiritual themes with purposeful vagueness, allowing them to be familiar & curious to a variety of audiences. I want my work to be the beginning of a dialogue, not a confrontation. Kate Morgan holds a BFA in Photography from the Columbus College of Art & Design. Frustrated at the digital world for not being tactile enough, she turned to mixed media. Morgan is inspired by folklore, mythology & the human form. Layers of collage are mixed with her ink washed drawings to address symbolic, cultural, historical & spiritual themes with purposeful vagueness, allowing them to be familiar to a variety of audiences. The idea of the piece “Initiation II” is of preservation. We are bearing witness to the end of an era. The woman on the right is the mother, while the woman on the left is her daughter. Each generation of a society is given knowledge, life & skills. If they are not used they cannot successfully be given to the next generation. The emphasis of this is visible through the use of collaging sewing patterns for their skin. They appear as tribal like markings, which reinforces the primitive simplicity of this notion. I can think of no culture other than our modern one where the skill of sewing wasn’t handed down, received & practiced.
