Kate MacDonald, Chernobyl Spring 1986: The Lovers – Billboard #1. Digital photomontage

Interview: Kate MacDonald

Multidisciplinary Canadian artist, Kate MacDonald, is a New Brunswick transplant to Vancouver. Her paintings, digital collages and video art have been exhibited throughout North America and Europe and her paintings have been featured in international editions of Wired and GQ magazine. She is currently represented by the Los Angeles Center for Digital Art, where she was selected as one of Ten Artists to Watch in 2012.

Kate MacDonald, Chernobyl Spring 1986: The Lovers – Apartment #1. Digital photomontage

Luca Curci – When did you start practising art and why?
Kate MacDonald – I began exhibiting my works in 2006, but  I have worked at making objects since well before then. I’ve often felt as if I have no choice but to practice art; the urge to create is overwhelming at times.

L.C. – Can you talk about your artistic work? What are your inspirations?
K.M. – Most of my works have been inspired by ideas surrounding memory – its manufacture and suppression within “biomythography” and personal narrative – and how it is related to nostalgia, souvenirs, and archives. My series “Chernobyl Spring 1986” is the most obvious launch point for this, but there are other examples looking back at my earlier works both in traditional and digital media.

L.C. – What are you currently working on?
K.M. – I have several projects running concurrently. This way of working helps me to discover new relationships between unrelated concepts. Sometimes you risk having a muddy intention behind a work, but more often, you tease unexpected depth from a piece. Right now I’m working on a three-dimensional installation, as well as a video, and I’m also collaborating on a new series of paintings.

Kate MacDonald, Chernobyl Spring 1986: The Wolves – Apartment #1. Digital photomontage

L.C. – What was the best advice given to you as an artist?
K.M. – Stand further back from your work.

L.C. – What is art for you?
K.M. – Art to me is a meaningful interaction between sensation and intellect.  It’s a manifestation of truth and, perhaps, beauty, but the most important thing is its ability to transcend the sum of its parts.

L.C. – What do you think about ITSLIQUID Group organization?
K.M. – ITSLIQUID Group has done a great job of connecting international artists on the web. Their exhibitions and events create a dialogue between artists from all over the world beyond language and change the typical contemporary art practices.

L.C. – Do you think ITSLIQUID Group organization can represent an opportunity for artists?
K.M. – ITSLIQUID Group provides an excellent opportunity for artists to promote and expand their audience beyond their own native territories. The international exhibition of my works led me to stumble upon new opportunities that I would certainly not have known by myself.

Kate MacDonald, Return to Bre/Men. Video still