The Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (CHAW) is proud to present “Shadow and Light,” a show by the Third Annual Gallery Artist in Residence, Kate Fleming, generously made possible by Wade Carey. Kate will be working in residence in the CHAW Gallery March 5 through April 14, 2018.

On April 7th- a FREE reception will feature Kate in conversation with any interested community members, as well as a presentation of the almost-completed work. This special event will bring the artist and her art into the public sphere; light bites and wine will be provided. The event will take place 5:00pm-7:00pm on Friday, April 7 at CHAW, 545 7th St. SE, and is free and open to the public.

ARTIST STATEMENT FOR SHADOW AND LIGHT:

In my residency at Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, I will use the time and space to create an installation piece that develops and expands upon the ideas I explored in my installation for Artomatic 2017, entitled Office 3501.

I’m eager to expand upon its ideas, especially the representation of light and shadow in a physical, three-dimensional way. I have always felt that the shadows in my black-and-white prints have a certain physicality and weight to them, almost like a thick, black curtain draping over a window frame or a set of stairs. I will create an installation in which shadows are physically represented by black fabric covering everything in its path, crawling over surfaces indiscriminately and encasing them entirely. The resulting piece will be powerful and striking, and will ideally be shown alongside my linocut prints. The finished piece would be an interactive artwork that visitors and community members would be able to physically walk through and into.

INTERVIEW WITH KATE BY CHAW INTERN, KHAILYNN BAKER

How would you describe your artistic process?

Kate: My art process is about putting in the hours. Inspiration is wonderful, but unreliable and fleeting. I find that making work when you don’t feel like it sometimes yields the most important breakthroughs. In a more concrete sense, my process always begins with drawing — usually cheap ballpoint pen in cheap 6×8″ sketchbooks. I work in a number of different media these days — painting, printmaking, collage, installation, murals — but pretty much every piece I make starts with a ballpoint pen sketch.

What inspires you?

Kate: I’m not a big believer in inspiration. I find that as long as I keep working, I keep coming up with new questions and then I have to come up with new ways to answer them. I try my best to fill my brain with good things so that I can get good things out of it. I consume a lot of art both in museums and from my friends, and I try to read every night before bed. I often take different routes to get to the same places I go every day, so that I give myself the best chance of coming across different, interesting light situations out in the world. Although I’m not big on inspiration, I do get really excited and motivated when I’m surrounded by other people who are dedicated to their craft — big shout out to Taffety Punk and the cast and crew of Don Juan, whose creative energy I feed off every day at CHAW.