Katherine Griffin
Katherine tells us about herself with as simple Q&A
Q1. Who is Katherine?
I am painter living and working in Brighton. I teach art and photography. I also enjoy
working on large scale and painting murals. I have been lucky enough to be
commissioned across the city of Brighton and Hove to create internal and external
murals for private clients and businesses. I was thrilled to be selected to paint large
fiber glass sculptures for ‘Wild in Art' Brighton and Hove sculpture trails.
Q2. Where do you get your inspiration?
My current work explores themes around the Anthropocene. The human figure is
largely absent and instead referenced by the extravagance and banality of objects of human desire that have caused destruction to the planet. My passion for kitsch pays a huge role in my image selection. Despite the bright colours and natural forms, the paintings have a slightly apocalyptic feel and there are symbolic hints at this such as the Mayan crop circle. I have always been interested in themes surrounding morality and mortality and I think my visual language is evolving as I develop a series of motifs to suggest deeper meaning to the montages.
Q3. Did you have any training?
I Studied painting at The Slade School of Fine Art, which was amazing. I had the privilege of meeting so many artists with extraordinary talent, both tutors and students. I won the prestigious Slade life drawing award judged by Paula Rego.
Although the human figure can feature in my work, I often play with human representation via their absence, painting man-made remnants in their place.
Q4. How would you describe your art?
My paintings are made up of intense colours and intricate detail. I explore surreal and nostalgic dreamscapes that are laced with symbolism, motif and metaphor, evoking a pop psychedelia with a dark edge and enveloping a fictitious space that nonetheless resonates with the real. The work playfully explores themes that question the human condition and celebrate my love for nature.
Q5. What artists inspire you?
I could write a huge list! My biggest joy is soaking up art I love and discovering new artists. My current favourites are Jordan Casteel, Flora Yuknovich, Njideka Akunyili Crosby amongst old favourites like Hockney, Bacon and so many more, too many to list. I also love Boo Saville and the way she is able to perfectly render abstraction with the figurative. I adore listening to podcasts ‘The Great Women Artists’ and ‘Talk Art’ so inspiring and energising.
Q6. What does Sentiment mean to you?
The concept of Sentiment combines feelings of connection and the pull of belonging. Sharing a sentiment allows us to connect on a deeper level and art is a great way to embody this. The jigsaw shape is a beautiful motif of interlocking. As a teenager I had a mizpah necklace that I shared with a friend, I used to love knowing the pendant made a whole piece with the sum of both our parts.
Katherine's Sentiment
'We Are Stardust'
Divided into 1000 pieces allowing friends, family and fellow art lovers to connect to the artist and each other through this unique medium.
Each piece is mounted on a 24 carat gold leaf base with a thread of gold running through to connect the piece's together and to this artist and in turn all the artists in this Sentiment collection.
Framed in a black wooden box frame signed and numbered and ready to be shared and collected.
To own a piece of Katherine's Sentiment follow the link below and start collecting and connecting.
A human connection through the medium of art.
Dia de los Muertos is a Mexican celebration with origins in Aztec traditions honoring the dead. Family members make alters where they put up photographs, leave offerings for their departed loved ones of their favourite food & drink and dance to their favourite music. The days put aside to celebrate the dead create a liminal space between the living and the dead. I painted the skull itself after my mother died, my father had died 9 years previous - neither of them made it as far as retirement. My mother and I discussed energy and the human condition leading up to her death and since energy can not be created or destroyed some physicists claim our energy remains after we die.
When stars get to the end of their lives, they swell up and fall together again, throwing off their outer layers. If a star is heavy enough, it will explode in a supernova. The theory is that most of the material that we're made of comes out of dying stars and nearly all the elements in the human body were made in a star and many have come through several supernovas. The amazing colours we see in nebulas hold more significant meaning when thought of in this context.
The title of this piece is from a Joni Mitchell lyric that really resonates with me. The motifs painted on the skull are symbolic representations. The kingfisher is symbol of peace, promising prosperity and love, the butterfly is a metaphor for transformation and hope; across cultures, it has become a symbol for rebirth and resurrection. I created this piece for the Sentiment Collection because the concept embodies some of the metaphors, the jigsaw pieces representing the redistribution of energy – the fragments of which link to something that connects and completes.
