Kate Wilson

www.katewilsonprojects.com

Kate Wilson is a Toronto based multidisciplinary artist whose practice includes painting, animation, large-scale wall drawing installation, and sound composition. Wilson has exhibited nationally and internationally and is a recipient of awards from the Toronto Arts Council, Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts including the Canada Council Paris Studio.
Recent exhibitions include Beyond/ In Western New York 2007 at the University at Buffalo Center for the Arts, organized by the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY, USA, Canadian Club, the Canadian Cultural Centre, Paris, France, Real Estate Flowers at the Kelowna Art Gallery, Kelowna, British Columbia, Microbial Baroque, St. Mary’s University Art Gallery, Halifax, CAFKA.09: Veracity, Contemporary Art Forum Kitchener and Area, Kitchener, Ontario, Collages in Motion and Artificial Dreams at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Botanical Model City, Museum London, London, Ontario and Curious Lights at the Union Gallery, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario.

The Afterlife of Buildings

Kate Wilson’s darkly humorous worlds contain a skewed familiarity. In her images large expanses of foreboding sky are punctuated by hydro poles, road signs and wild botanicals. But the skies are black, red or mustardy yellow signaling pollution and diseased environments. Words on the road signs are obscure: a sign in the middle of nowhere displays the word PARADISE, with an arrow below. The plants are sprouting houses or are circled by flying saucers and Alien spacecrafts are juxtaposed with skyscrapers, organic forms with industrial structures. A sinister light often permeates the work where ravaged landscapes and debilitated technology abound. Wilson highlights her dark palette of colours with glowing reds or sickly greens so that a sense of unease arises. Although we recognize many elements – carnival lights, motel signs, and satellite dishes – we are left with a feeling of something wild and not quite right.

Text excerpt from Cold Drive by Corinna Ghaznavi. Cold Drive an exhibition by Kate Wilson at YYZ Artists’ Outlet, Toronto, 2003