Media release: 22 August 2006
Pulse of life at the heart of Kathryn’s spiritual art
The heartbeat – something every human has in common - is at the core of the latest solo exhibition by Brisbane artist, Kathryn Brimblecombe-Fox.
Fitting then that this small collection of large paintings is entitled Pulse, and that one of the paintings, called Earth’s Pulse, represents a planet superimposed with a pattern like that of a heart monitor expanding into the Universe.
“When you bring us back to fundamental human qualities, there is no difference. Everybody has a pulse, it is the basic sign of life,” says Kathryn, whose latest exhibition opens at the Doggett Street Studio at Newstead on October 13 and continues until November 4.
In a world of chaos, war and negativity, Kathryn prefers to focus on people’s similarities rather than their differences: “It’s about people operating in a rhythm that’s natural and positive, not destructive.”
“Life should be a celebration of what people can do together and my art is about connectivity - what is symbolic and identifiable across cultures and religions, such as the circle and the tree of life,” she explains.
Other motifs that recur in Kathryn’s current work are mountains, the concept of time, and rain, which she sees as the connection between heaven and earth.
“It’s about energy and abundance and it’s cyclical. Blood gives life and rivers are like the earth’s blood vessels – they feed the earth.
“I use elements of the landscape as metaphors for life that draw us back to the earth. “
“My cellular memory of the land is from my ancestors,” said Kathryn, a fourth generation Australian. Both sides of her family come from the land and she’s lived on it herself for 35 years.
Kathryn grew up on her parent’s grain farm on the treeless Pirrinuan Plain between Dalby and Jandowae, with the Bunya Mountains as a backdrop.
She started painting as a child, sold her first piece of art at 14 years, won the senior section of a state wide art competition at 16, and held her first exhibition aged 17.
Her dream then was to be the director of a major art gallery which is why she went to university and studied art history. When she graduated she went to Canberra and worked at the National Gallery of Australia.
“Then I got married,” said Kathryn, who moved to Goondiwindi where she lived for the next 18 years. In 2000 she moved to Brisbane with her daughters, Clementine, Edwina and Winsome, now aged between 15 and eight years.
Kathryn, 45, is a full time artist and solo parent. Her studio is the garage under her house and her dream today is to be still painting at 90 and to be reputed as one of Australia’s leading and most thoughtful female artists.
For several years Kathryn has exhibited overseas, predominantly in the Middle East – Abu Dhabi (2004) and Dubai (2005), as well as London (2002) and New York (2004). Her next international exhibition is part of a group exhibition in Dubai from November 8 – December 6.
“My work is very layered. It is not just about what I see, but what I feel. My images are bigger than the actual painting itself, because emotion takes the viewer beyond what they see,” says Kathryn.
“Since I was little my work has been about feelings and things that I see in my mind rather than with my eyes. I can visualise ideas in my imagination.
“People have spoken about the spirituality that emanates from my paintings. Some have said I am like a medium channelling in some way, but I do not do this consciously.
“I believe there is a universal subconscious and that people can tap it in a way which unifies them. I do go into another place when I paint – it’s very much like a meditation.”
Kathryn said her work was not didactic or narrative: “There’s no definite story or any one meaning. I feel the work goes beyond that, allowing each viewer to bring their own experience as a way of embracing the work.
Others who view her work say they see diverse connections that range from Aboriginal and Arabic, to medical and scientific.
“This comes from the colours, designs and patterns. For instance I’ve had many people from the medical profession say they see blood vessels, sperm, ovaries, lungs and brains in my work,” said Kathryn.
In Abu Dhabi a medical professor from Eastern Europe asked her if she had studied histology, and here in Australia, a zoologist and his law academic partner have used images of some of Kathryn’s paintings when giving presentations on DNA and the legal/ethical ramifications of testing.
Pulse: Throb Vibrate Quiver Thrill Rhythm = Sign of Life
Media inquiries: Nikki Shrimpton W: www.nscomm.com
Ph: 07. 3395 3883 / 0412 64 55 47
More information: http://www.kathrynbrimblecombe-fox.com/
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