Trellises by Katherine Mann
Exhibition: October 10 - November 1, 2013
Katherine Mann was born in Madison, Wisconsin, but grew up moving around the United States, Asia and the Middle East as the child of a US Foreign Service Officer. Half-Asian American and a life-long expatriate, she combines elements from natural history, graphic design and Chinese ink painting into abstract pieces exploring themes of excess and growth. With Trellises, Mann draws inspiration from plein air techniques, and the history of Eastern and Western landscape painting traditions.
Mann’s sizeable creations incorporate acrylic paints and sumi ink on Yupo paper in a pulsating cacophony of layered colors and shapes. The process starts with pouring inks and water, and then allowing the stains to dry. Mann then builds on these signaling marks to create an entire ecosystem combining disparate textures to produce a jarring vibrant environment. The artist nourishes the arena of each painting, coaxing from this organic foundation the development of diverse, decorative forms. The large sizes of the paper works create a cinematic scope, encouraging an wholly immersing sense oriented experience. Previous works have drawn on Beijing Opera, lace work, and ribbons for inspiration, while Trellises is influenced by the natural environment.
Katherine Mann received her Bachelor of Arts from Brown University and her Master of Fine Arts from the Maryland Institute College of Art. She is the recipient of a Fulbright grant and the Toby Devan Lewis fellowship, and is a fellow in the Washington, DC So-Hamiltonian Fellows program. She has participated as an artist in residence at the Virginia Center for the Arts, Blue Sky Dayton, Vermont Studio Center, Salzburg Kunstlerhaus and Triangle Workshop residencies, and has been awarded the Anderson Art Ranch and Bemis Center residencies for 2011 and 2012. Mann is currently an instructor at the Maryland Institute College of Art. The artist has shown extensively in the Washington-Baltimore area, New York, New England and internationally in Zurich, London, Taiwan and Cameroon. Her work has been reviewed in many publications including the Washington Post, The Baltimore City Paper and the Taipei Times.
Blue Black Water Acrylic and sumi ink on paper 60 x 90 in | 152.4 x 228.6 cm
Calcite Acrylic, sumi ink, and graphite on paper 66 x 90 in | 167.6 x 228.6
Fallow Acrylic, sumi ink, and collage on paper 60 x 120 in | 152.4 x 304.5 cm (Floor piece is variable)
Topiary II Acrylic, sumi ink, and collage on paper 40 x 40 in | 101.6 x 101.6 cm
Topiary Acrylic, sumi ink, and collage on paper 50 x 60 in | 101.5 x 152.4
Warren Mixed media on paper 60 x 100 in | 152.4 x 254 cm
Cloud of oil II Acrylic and sumi ink on paper 60 x 53 in | 152.5 x 134.5 cm
Cloud of Oil Acrylic and sumi ink on paper 60 x 61 in | 152.4 x 155 cm
Pond II Acrylic, sumi ink and collage on paper 40 x 60 in | 101.5 x 152.4 cm
Pond Acrylic on canvas 40 x 60 in | 101.5 x 152.4 cm
24 spring st. new york, ny, 10012 | 212.965.9995 | info@gallerynine5.com