Katy Horan - Mini Profile
Katy Horan has a solo exhibition “In the Deep Dark…” which opens Friday, Sept 5 at San Jose’s Anno Domini gallery. Her art is influenced by folk art, and the figurative work revolves around themes of magic, domestic arts and femininity. Katy’s art is playful and fairy-tale like, while at the same time exploring the idea of the traditional feminine vs the sacred feminine.
Intrigued by her work, I recently contacted Katy to ask her some questions about her work and her upcoming show.
Age / Location / Art Education
28/ Brooklyn, Ny/ I studied Illustration at RISD
How did you get started in art?
I’ve always loved to draw. As a kid, that was my favorite activity. It was the only thing that really held my attention. There is a great place in Houston (where I’m from) called the Glassell school. It’s part of the Museum of Fine Arts Houston and I took classes there from the time I was 5 through High School. It just always felt like the right thing for me.
Which artists have influenced you, and where do you get your inspiration?
I have a lot of random influences. Medieval art, American folk art, Russian folk art…well, most folk art really, vintage children’s books. fantasy movies and books ( I am really nerdy about stuff like Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter…not kidding). I am also really inspired by music. In a way, music affects my work the most because it makes me feel so much. I started listening to a lot of bluegrass and country music a few years ago and it had a direct impact on my work. It just felt really lonesome and haunted. I would listen to some really tinny old timey music and think, “I want my work to feel like this.” The other really big influence for me is folklore and ghost stories. I realized at one point that my entire goal as an artist was to be a storyteller, and there is something so significant to me about these stories that have been passed down through the generations.
What’s your typical process for creating art?
I’d say it’s pretty organic. I always have a number of images floating around in my head. I’ll make some sketches or write lists of the imagery and titles. When I start a new painting I usually just go with whichever image has been the most persistent in my mind. I like to work on several things at once, so I’ll try to get a few started and then see which ones take off and which don’t.
Can you explain some of the common themes in your work and what it represents?
My common themes are magic, femininity, domestic arts, the connection between people and nature and just general folkiness. Like a lot of folk art, my images show characters in their everyday lives. Some perform magical rites, some are sewing or collecting sticks, but they all have these tasks they perform. In my mind, they do what they do day after day. It’s about living a simple life. I think because NYC can feel really complicated and hectic, I created this world of magic, nature and simplicity to escape to.
I also use a lot of lace, knitting and quilt imagery. There is something very comforting to me about referencing old fashioned “women’s work”. Domestic arts and crafts or “women’s work” allowed women to express themselves and feel accomplished when they weren’t allowed much else. I think it deserves the utmost respect, and it adds a homey feel to the work that I really like. I also like to play with the idea of the traditional feminine vs the sacred feminine. The traditional being the ladies in high collared, lacy dresses and the sacred being the nude women who use their bodies in ritual. the thing is I find both of them beautiful, so I am not trying to say one is better than the other, I just like exploring the difference. In the world of my work, both are just as important and magical as the other.
What goes on in a normal day for you?
My normal day is really pretty darn normal, actually. It’s funny, I reached a certain age and thought to myself, “yes, I would actually like to live a stable and balanced life”. I think that as an artist you think it has to be all about the art, but my work suffers when I am not feeling balanced.
I try to wake up early, eat cereal, walk the dog, check the email. I ease myself into working. I’ll hang out in the studio for a little while before I get down to it. I like to start the work early so I can build momentum. I try to keep it easy going. I have a tendency to get worked up and freak out if I put too much pressure on myself, so I take it as it comes…some days I get a lot of work done, some days I don’t. It’s been a big challenge to learn to accept that, but it really is the way it is. At this point it’s all about balance. So basically, I jump between the work, the dog and food/coffee breaks till the evening time, when I might cook something for dinner and just chill out with the boyfriend, most likely watching some TV. On occasion I’ll do a little more work at night and then I’ll do some reading. I usually go to sleep at a respectable grown up hour. At this point I know that if I don’t get enough sleep, I am a total mess!
Favorite music?
My old stand by’s are Tom Petty, Led Zeppelin, Radiohead, Gillian Welch, Neil Young, Joanna Newsom, Neko Case, Townes Van Zandt, Ryan Adams…there are more, but those are the ones I always go back to. I don’t listen to much new music, but right now I am really enjoying this guy who calls himself Deer Tick. He makes really great bluegrassy music, but with a dark side. I’ve also been listening to a lot of Bon Iver and Bonnie “Prince” Billie lately.
When I work though, I love listening to movie scores. It’s becoming a sort of obsession, thinking of movies that have really beautiful music and finding recordings of it. That music is designed to make you feel something and I am a total sucker for it. I really love being swept up in the emotion of the music while I’m working. It helps when the work gets a little tedious. My favorite composer is Thomas Newman (he scored American Beauty and a bunch of others). His scores are very haunting and subtle.
What are your interests outside of art?
I like to bake. I bake a lot…pies, cakes, crumbles. It’s a hobby that benefits everyone around me! I also like to crochet, ride my bike, go see movies, go to flea markets and read. I am kind of a home body and I like getting domestic.
Which contemporary artists are you digging?
Clare Rojas has been a big influence (that’s probably pretty obvious, actually!). I also love Amy Cutler, Robin O’Neil, Marcel Dzama, Richard Coleman, Camille Rose Garcia, Jeanna Sohn, Kathleen Lolley, Evan B Harris, Marci Washington, Merrilee Challis, Elaine Bradford, Meghan Whitmarsh, Betsy Walton and on and on and on….
Tell us a little bit about your upcoming show at Anno Domini “In the Deep, Dark…”
I’ll be showing work from the past year in this show, but mostly it’s stuff I’ve made since January. The “…” at the end of “In the Deep, Dark…” is really important because it’s meant to be the beginning phrase of a story about the deepest, darkest part of a magical forest and those that live there. I’ll be showing acrylic and gouache paintings on wood, pencil drawings and works on paper. Not sure what the installation will be like, I am going to play it by ear when I get to San Jose. I am thinking that I’ll keep it pretty straight forward, allow the work to stand alone, but there will be some sculptural elements here and there.
To see more of Katy’s work visit katyart.com
Anno Domini presents…
“In the Deep Dark” a solo exhibition by Katy Horan
Artist’s Reception: First Friday, September 5, 2008
8pm til late, free and open to the public
Exhibit on view through October 18, 2008
One Comment, Comment or Ping
Michael C Hsiung
Great interview!
Sep 3rd, 2008
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