kate howard studio

kate howard studio

  • Daily Combines
  • Dailies
  • Swarms
  • Paper Relief Works
  • Deconstructed Life
  • Domestic Combines
  • Wind from Above, Fire From Below
  • Scrap Sculpture
  • The Trophy Life
  • About/Contact
Matisse Fish
2024
Paper Collage
22" x 30"

In the past months, I’ve been working with the vernacular of “the swarm”. Swarms are self-organizing systems and can be associated with multiple species, most commonly flying insects. For this body of work, I’m interested in the idea of a multitude of interacting elements that coalesce around a collective behavior or gesture. My collages merge familiar components that may or may not be immediately related. Using a copier, I mass produce each element, adjusting scale and color temperature. The parts are cut and layered repeatedly to create a sense of sameness and wholeness. The visual elements are present but their identity is diluted. These works reflect the constant influx of cultural signifiers, both historical and current, and the potential vagueness of how information ultimately settles on the individual digesting it.