THE ENDLESS SPRING OF KATE BARBEE
Art is a force of nature and Kate Barbee is the example. Her work is powerful and strong but at the same time, she is capable of transmitting delicacy and tenderness. Therefore, it could be said that Kate is a strange creature, a restless woman who is not afraid to navigate the secret recesses of her interior. With her new work body of work that was first exhibited at Kohn Gallery, “Feral Flora,” inspired by the poet Amanda Ackerman, Kate opens up to us the doors of her secret garden, as untamed and powerful as her creative spirit.
UAN MARTI SERRANO. What has it been like to live in Los Angeles as an artist in 2020? Has the whole situation changed something in you?
KATE BARBEE. Seeing this city quiet down a bit has led me to deepening my connections and appreciation for the people I do have in my life. I think I’ve learned to become a bit more vulnerable with my subject matter, including people and scenarios from my world into my work for the public eye, which has led me to grapple with my subconscious perspectives and my emotional leanings.
J.M.S. “Feral Flora” is the name of your last exhibition. Why that name and why are these paintings the ones that inaugurate your 2020?
K.B. I found this book of poetry by Amanda Ackerman in Marfa, Texas a few years ago, and it was called “Feral Flora.” It was the first thing I could think of to describe this show. The book itself has a very avant-garde structure to it — with abstract, awkward beautiful moments; and when I was thinking of a title, I could not get the two words out of my head. Feral — wild, flora woman. It just made sense. I felt wild and restless and painting was my way to be in the world.
J.M.S. Your art features bodies full of color, faces that come together, kiss, merge, are they perhaps an antithesis of the current scene we are living in?
K.B. These were daydreams and collages of memories that I could escape into.
J.M.S. What has changed in you as an artist since your exhibition at the Dollhouse in Chicago in 2016?
K.B. It’s funny that you bring this show up. It was, I think the first “group show” I was in, and the Dollhouse was actually a punk house of college kids who would have art show concerts in their living room. Since then, I graduated from undergrad at UT Austin and made the leap to LA immediately after. I think what has changed in me is that I am more selective now in how I share my work, I don’t have art school bangs anymore, and now I know what I am capable of.
J.M.S. It is said that your works are built from discarded projects as if you had the gift of righting all the wrong. How would you define your creative process.
K.B. My process is all about archiving, and reusing painted scraps that I’ve either had for many years or are brand new. For me, it starts with a blank canvas, and I draw out with a china marker a loose idea of my subject matter, and sometimes it is so organic it can kind of go either way. Occasionally the work doesn’t meet my expectations and so I scrap it. Luckily now I just reuse bits and pieces as color swatches, and sometimes I make patches that are purposely intended for the composition. When I want to incorporate plants in multiple pieces, I will dedicate a single canvas to botanical sketchings. I store everything in cardboard boxes or buckets. They’re spilling off the shelves in my studio, begging to be placed somewhere. But as I continue to form new ideas, the pile gets more vicious and out of control. My process is fluid, and it is all about trial and error. I am forgiving to myself, and I think that is what makes these paintings so healing for me. I don’t let my mistakes hurt my feelings anymore.
J.M.S. Many have recommended that to truly appreciate your paintings you have to view them multiple times, take pauses, as they seem to reveal little by little all their secrets. So is the devil in the details?
K.B. I do pride myself on my varied textures and details: the sewing is to add another layer in the paint, which is meant to invite you in closer. I really do like giving the viewer new things to find each time they visit my paintings. The way Mark Bradford and Cecily Brown invite you in deeper with their dense compositions. Quilting has also just been around in my life for so long, I grew up sleeping with quilts and I always enjoyed staying up all night and imagining that each piece was a little world that I could live in. I hope that the viewer can find that inner peace too when looking at the different patches and color swatches I’ve layered on.
J.M.S. In what way do you think the art industry has changed in recent years?
K.B. I don’t have much to compare it to, but it clearly has changed drastically, since before and during quarantine. Now social media and the internet are highly relied on for exposure, art shows, and sales. That being said, I have been asked to do more online shows and fairs, which is a little underwhelming at times because my inspiration is fueled by experience, and my work is densely filled with details that I want the viewer to see. I look forward to being a little more offline and experiencing art in person again. You just don’t meet the same people at an online opening.
J.M.S. Do you think the art world is a kind world?
K.B. Over the past year it seems like there has been a transition of being more thoughtful and inclusive in what’s being presented, and I think the art world can only benefit from an expanded perspective.
J.M.S. You have exhibited in Europe and in the United States. What makes an artist successful on both sides of the ocean?
K.B. Unfortunately, I was never able to attend the shows that were abroad, but networking, meeting people at openings, and making new friends will always lead you to some sort of growth. Either through your work or through your connections.
J.M.S. What is currently seducing you creatively speaking, right now?
K.B. At this moment I am inspired by my friends and their quirks. I have a few paintings in the works that are based on the sweet moments I’ve had with my pod. I just moved to a more lush part of Los Angeles, and I must say the flora around me is intoxicating.
J.M.S. What advice would you give to all those young artists who want to start their careers in the art world today?
K.B. Take everyone’s advice with a grain of salt and just don’t stop making. You can’t lose anything if you’re consistently exploring your medium. And when I say “exploring” I mean, do your research, observe and collect. Write down that idea that pops in your head right before you fall asleep, and while doing all of this, make sure to take a break to notice the subtle beauty in your daily life.