Katherine Veneman
Region: West
My current paintings are complex, intricate abstractions that metaphorically chart mental reactions to change and growth. Depicting landscapes in a state of flux, I employ swirling lines, shifting vantage points, and partially-glimpsed patterns to visually convey some of the adaptive strategies that we use to navigate daily life—from logic and deduction to intuition and guesswork.
A sense of disorientation and discovery operate side by side in the paintings’ chaotic, tumultuous atmospheres. Often the activated surfaces appear constrained by the canvas’ four edges. Inside, illusionistic space is active and dynamic. Filled with forms that appear both familiar and abstract, the landscapes are reminiscent of nature and of built environments. At times, the rapidly unfolding layers suggest expansive distances; conversely, articulated gestures and marks can appear as though compressed or stacked to face the viewer at close range. Rather than mapping a harmonious or linear chronology, my paintings reveal events unfolding all at once.