* All images used with permission. Please do not distribute without first contacting the artist.
Kate Clark is a sculptor who lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. Her sculptures synthesize the human face and the body of wild animals, exploring the overlap that exists across our cultures, and within our histories.
Kate had her first solo exhibit at Claire Oliver Gallery in New York in 2008. Since then she has been included in solo and group
museum exhibitions at the Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, The Islip Art Museum, and The Bellevue Arts Museum, the Mobile Museum of Art, MOFA: Florida State University, Cranbrook Art Museum, Frist Center for the Visual Arts, The Winnepeg Art Gallery, the Glenbow Museum, the Musée de la Halle Saint Pierre, Paris, The Art Gallery at Cleveland State University, the Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art, the Nevada Museum of Art The Newcomb Art Museum and the David Winton Bell Gallery at Brown University.
Kate explains her work by saying, “When encountering my sculptures, the viewer is faced with a lifelike fusion of human and animal that investigates which characteristics separate us within the animal kingdom, and more importantly, which unite us. The sculptures visually, emotionally and intellectually explore this overlap that exists across cultures, along histories, and within societies.
Our current lifestyle does not necessitate physical interaction with wild animals. Yet we revere the natural world and are seduced by characteristics we no longer see in ourselves, such as fierceness, instinctiveness, purity. I work with hide to create traditionally mounted animal bodies, utilizing the impetus for taxidermy: our endless curiosity to see animals, and our desire to celebrate their unique features.”
"Kate Clark’s work is amazing to me. I have always been wondrous of nature. I grew up watching nature shows on public television. I have always liked the natural history museums. But I have never seen this mix-match of human and animal pairings in a bizarre and strangely humorous way. I am fascinated by the full sculptural and taxidermy work Clark uses to blend man and beast. I would love to know more about her process and inspiration."