AUG 21–DEC 12, 2010
KATHRYN SPENCE: Short Sharp Notes, Rolling or Churring Whistles, Clear Phrases
The exhibition Kathryn Spence: short sharp notes, rolling or churring whistles, clear phrases will feature new work by the San Francisco Bay Area artist. Spence’s sculptural objects are inspired by birds and the natural world but are composed from the discarded materials of the human world.
Kathryn Spence
Untitled (Coyotes), 2009
Sweaters, shirts, towels, stuffed animals, wood, pins, colored paper
Accumulated bits of fabric, thread, paper, and cardboard take on species-specific characteristics and inhabit space as they might in the wild.
Kathryn Spence
Untitled (Western Screech Owls), 2009
Coats, pants, stuffed animals, sand, string, thread, wire, pins
Her work demonstrates an uncanny ability to capture the essence of animals without masking her found materials, applying a naturalist’s methods to urban detritus. Spence’s objects emulate the living animals and other items and elements she observes in nature, and explore the disparity between the culture of the artificial and the existence of the untamed natural world that surrounds us. Spence’s works on paper take on sculptural qualities as well, often lying on bases instead of hanging on the wall and incorporating some of the same materials found in her sculpture. Her exhibition at the Mills College Art Museum will include a combination of new two-dimensional and three-dimensional works.
Kathryn Spence
Untitled, 2005–06
Cardboard, plywood, thread, ink, bobby pins, pillow feathers, towel scraps, clothing remnants, paper, safety pins, bed sheets, “How to Wash” labels, “Do Not Remove” labels, upholstery and mattress tags, photographs, magazines, paper towels, cell phone advertisements, toy squirrel, Styrofoam, string, cotton batting
Kathryn Spence received her MFA from Mills College in 1993. She lives and works in San Francisco, California. Kathryn Spence: short sharp notes, rolling or churring whistles, clear phrases is curated by Stephanie Hanor.
