Interview

Feb 7

Kate Harlowe Jones

Kate Jones is an American southern-born visual artist, whose upbringing informs the darkness of her work.

Her paintings and sculptures deconstruct ideas of the body and myth, often resulting in ephemeral figurative motifs that relate to a larger historical cannon.

Kate devotes her practice to exploring the arcane, imploring ritualistic elements as art-making techniques, connecting through ancient spheres of humanity.

What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?

“I was born in a small town in the American South. My upbringing was infused with domestic violence, so I turned to art as an escape, creating my own world. Even in school, I’d draw constantly to avoid socializing. I felt like an outsider, and art helped me heal.
I got kicked out of my high school art show for being too subversive. Nan Goldin was a big inspiration then, and still is. I then went to art school and attempted grad school, but dropped out to explore the world and have some life experience.”

What does your work aim to say? Does it comment on any current social or political issues?

“When I paint figures, I often have a narrative centered around the female body and the woman’s experience of having it.
I’m interested in exploring spirituality and the arcane in everyday life, so I try to look inward often. Radicalizing paint in a messy way speaks volumes.”

“A lot of my work has to do with femininity sexuality, queerness, motherhood, and the experience of it through memory. But collectively, memory can’t be trusted.”

Do you plan your work in advance, or is it improvisation?

“When I get an idea that floods my mind, I try to do a crass sketch of it quickly in the hope that it stays in my brain long enough for me to use as reference when I paint. Oftentimes it morphs into something totally different, or just becomes the stuff you see when you close your eyes.”

Are there any art world trends are you following?

“There are artist and contemporaries I like. However, I wouldn’t say I follow world trends. I consider them irrelevant as they are decided by art oligarchs who dictate whether or not something has market value.”

What process, materials and techniques do you use to create your artwork?

“Right now, I’m making my own pigment and oil paint, which is fun and feeds into my appreciation for things in their pure value. Allowing myself to be uninhibited with the paint, and redefining what paint is down to the very minerals, brings me to catharsis, or sometimes an ecstatic experience that feels like radical resistance.”

What does your art mean to you?

“My art means I exist.”

What’s your favorite artwork and why?

“Goya’s The Witches Sabbath is my favorite artwork. It’s creepy and romantic, and its political irony repurposes some of the religious propaganda used at the time. Goya is punk rock and is the master of allegory within allegory.”