March Issue 2001
Craven Allen Gallery in Durham, NC, Features Works by Kathryn DeMarco
Self-Portrait, mixed media collage paintings and drawings by Kathryn DeMarco opens at Craven Allen Gallery in Durham, NC, on Mar. 24 and will continue through May 12. Often humorous, sometimes disquieting, but always revealing, the pieces are large both in size - all of them are life size - and in scope; there are over twenty works in the show.
DeMarco first draws a detailed study of her subject in charcoal, and then covers the surface of the piece with layers of paper. Often the paper has intriguing texture or color, but she sometimes works the surface with color, or paints individual strips of paper before applying the pieces to the drawing. The resulting pieces have a rich surface texture and sense of depth and dimension. Their large scale gives them an immediacy that is hard to ignore. Vibrant color can also play a role in seducing the viewer, but some of the most captivating examples are shades of black and white. DeMarco plays with perspective, often flattening the viewing plane, pictorially and psychologically drawing the viewer close to the subject matter - often the artist herself, nude or clothed, alone or with animals or other friends or strangers.
At the heart of the exhibition are five full figure, life-size works called The Doorway Series. These are filled with the accoutrements of the artist's life, but the mood is not always easy to read. There are elements of humor, often provided by animals. But are the scissors merely tools of the trade - or a means of protection? Is the viewer an innocent bystander, or a voyeur to something more private? The artist is at once vulnerable and enigmatic, leaving the viewer to decipher her secrets.
DeMarco is on the Board of the Independent Animal Rescue of the Triangle, and has created a print Outnumbered and Surrounded by Cats, the proceeds of which will benefit the organization. In addition, Craven Allen Gallery will donate ten percent of the sale of each original work in the exhibition to the organization.
DeMarco received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting from Boston University, where she studied with Joseph Ablow, Peter Hoss and Sidney Hurowitz. She lives in Durham.
For further information check our NC Commercial Gallery listings or call the gallery at 919/286-4837.
Kathryn Demarco
Artist Statement
"Self Portrait" is an accumulation of work that illustrates my loves, fears and obsessions. The pieces represented in this exhibition are not only literal images of me, but glimpses at the experiences and objects that influence my life and those around me. I invite the viewer to take a closer look at this body of work to see the hidden messages embedded within each piece.
I received my BFA in painting from Boston University in 1992. The program was focused on painting from life and I still draw inspiration from what I observe. I admire artists like Edward Hopper, Romare Bearden, Max Beckmann and Balthus who paint situations that are real, but with an underlying tension that you see and feel when you look more closely. I like to use paper to add mystery and intrigue to otherwise realistic situations.
You can see that I am an animal lover. Animals cannot communicate with us in words, but one can look at their faces and watch their behavior and can understand them. I am particularly fascinated by the work of Balthus because it seems he has a relationship with cats that is similar to mine. Balthus was referred to by friends as cat-like and "skittishly secret". In some ways, I am the same. My own companion animals provide me with joy and delight, but I can look at them and can feel that they know something that I do not know yet, that I am struggling to express. Similarly, these paintings tell a story that I cannot express in words.
My Working Method
The cut and paste technique is something I experimented with in college, and have worked at perfecting ever since. The process of choosing colors or textures and then applying them to a detailed drawing slows me down and allows me to think about the composition. Each painting takes many steps to complete. I prefer to work in a life size format; however, each painting starts with a small pen and ink sketch. Next, I do a full-scale drawing in charcoal, using the sketch as a reference. I draw with as much detail as possible. Usually, I have a color scheme in mind because I am working from life, so I rifle through my huge box of paper, magazines, and matboard pieces. If I cannot find what I am looking for, I paint paper with acrylic paint to achieve the color I need. I think of it as a kind of backwards way of painting, because the paper is then cut to the shape of the space it will fill and glued on. Sometimes it is right, sometimes it is wrong. I try to work from the background to the foreground, but occasionally the figure in front is too fascinating to leave in charcoal.
Outnumbered and Surrounded by Cats A print in Aid of Independent Animal Rescue
Outnumbered and Surrounded by Cats is a print I created to generate public awareness of, and to raise funds for, Independent Animal Rescue. This Triangle-based organization has been helping strays and abandoned companion animals find good homes and medical care for over fifteen years. I volunteer much of my time with the organization, and believe strongly in the work that they do. The print features my own Animal Rescue adoptees. Gino is one of many stray cats I have captured as part of the IAR neuter/release program. He purred so contentedly at the vet's office that I decided to try to socialize him, with the hopes of placing him in a good home - and he ended up with me. Suka, a beautiful Dalmatian mix, had a heartbreaking history; she was abandoned at the shelter twice. I decided to foster her for the weekend, and she made herself part of the family. They symbolize for me the IAR maxim, "Homes Forever, Homes for Everyone." A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the print will be donated to Independent Animal Rescue.
Independent Animal Rescue
Independent Animal Rescue, Inc. (IAR) is a nonprofit 501(c) (3) organization, incorporated in the state of North Carolina for the purpose of providing food, shelter, medical care, and responsible permanent homes for animals in need in the Triangle. IAR functions completely on donations and receives no public funding. IAR conducts many programs including animal rescue of stray, abused, and abandoned animals. All animals taken into the rescue program are found permanent homes through the adoption services. An adoption listing program helps owners looking to place their pets in a registry. Additionally, IAR provides a foster care program for animals in transition who are waiting for their permanent homes. IAR features a companion of the week column in the "Independent Weekly". IAR also provides lost cost spay/neuter program for those in the community who are unable to afford the costs of spaying/neutering their pets. Finally, IAR provides pet food distribution program to people who are feeding stray animals in hopes of keeping the animals in a particular locations until they can enter a formal rescue program. For more information about Independent Animal Rescue, or to make a donation, please call or write:
Independent Animal Rescue, Inc.
P.O. Box 14232
Durham, NC 27709-4243
hotline: 919/403-2221
Website: (http://www. animalrescue.net)
Mailing Address: Carolina Arts, P.O. Drawer
427, Bonneau, SC 29431
Telephone, Answering Machine and FAX: 843/825-3408
E-Mail: carolinart@aol.com
Subscriptions are available for $18 a year.
Carolina Arts
is published monthly by Shoestring
Publishing Company, a subsidiary of PSMG, Inc.
Copyright© 2001 by PSMG, Inc., which published Charleston
Arts from July 1987 - Dec. 1994 and South Carolina Arts
from Jan. 1995 - Dec. 1996. It also publishes Carolina Arts
Online, Copyright© 2001 by PSMG, Inc. All rights reserved
by PSMG, Inc. or by the authors of articles. Reproduction or use
without written permission is strictly prohibited. Carolina
Arts is available throughout North & South Carolina.