Artist Lecture

Katherine Strause

The artist Katherine Strause recently showcased her oil paintings, titled "Cut and Tie", in the gallery of Porter Hall. Her work is unique in the way that she relies on photographs of the past to construct her compositions. First glance her paintings are extraordinary but the added context found in the old photos brings forth a personal touch. Her paintings are expressions of documented moments. All of her work seems to stem from a the same colorful pallet. The bright colors bring life to the old memories. 

Her subjects depicted in her recent showing were those of women. Some of her feminine figures were meant to be shown as remaining in a time when things were hopeful. She focuses on the their mere existence on the Earth. Many of her pieces are meant to depict that "where you are is where your from". She also mentions the idea of morality in relation to her work.

Some of her further work includes subjects concerning the civil rights of Little Rock, Arkansas. Strause also mentioned the Home Demonstration Club, and emphasized "how the woman saved the south" was shown through her work. This club was constructed of women with useful skills spreading their knowledge to create a lifestyle. 

Strause also brought forth the question of "what makes us who we are?". She finds the past to be very influential and asks us to compare older photos of our grandparents to where we are today. The timeline of the changes can also be thought of as a reflection. 

Some tips that Strause gave were to always be brainstorming, making work, setting deadlines, and showing work.