CATE COLLOPY

Search terms: Painting, mixed media, oil, abstract

Artist Statement

Fifteen years professional practice combines a contrast of experience from gallery and studio work to large-scale public and private works in mosaic, assemblage and sculpture using found and salvaged materials. I thrive as a conceptual artist and this strength is born out both on canvas and in site-specific responses using varied construction materials. I love to muse and plan and research ideas for what comes next but never compromise the intuitive languages and the spirit of the image born straight onto canvas.

'In oil glazes I build my ideas into a complex white foundation devoid of all colour and tone. I gradually add glaze layers to play in the pits and crevices, the shadows of form, allowing the image to emerge through the process.'

'When I paint in acrylics I like to work with the medium in a spirited manner making decisions, mixing media and textures along the way, as the painting emerges the narrative begins.'

Drawing with objects: New Work 2006 - A synergy of traditional painting grounds fused with object assemblage. This is my story of place, time and history combining my diverse strengths of media with gatherings and collectings of found and salvaged materials and memorabilia.

The Nostalgic series: 20 works 2002 - I draw the intuitive mark making of the morphologies into romantic images from the 1930 – 60’s and toy with degrees of light and tone to blur the lines between form and ground.

The Morphology series: 20+ works 1999 - My morphology images began with an idea, a camera and a really great pool opportunity, as my kids playfully moved past the lens I explored the abstraction of the figure in water

The Bathers series: 30+ works 1996 - 2006These quirky women I render are so familiar and yet are often so distant as they look and see into some other place

Modus operandi

My attitude to my work can only be described as extreme. As a young girl I was haunted with paintings in my head. Now in the centre of my life I love them, live them, make them, embrace them and share them, I have no other way. I come from a long line of dedicated workaholics and see myself speaking in this language of the arts for always as for questions of who is listening, I’m working hard on that too.

Skills: Materials/medium experience

Fifteen years studio practice in gallery works: painted on canvas in oils & acrylic; New Series: found objects (drawing with objects) on canvas; 3D works: assemblage and sculpture in found, salvaged materials, especially site specific; 3 dimensional works in synthetic stone, ceramic and composite construction materials. Additional works in Perspex, metals and wire utilizing jewellery making techniques in larger scale works.

Qualifications

Curtin University – Art Practice, Visual Culture/Research, Contemporary Art, Experimental Drawing. SIT - Environmental Ceramics (Adv Dip) Certificate Visual Art & Design; Art – Illustration, Cert IV Workplace Assessment & Training, Dip. Business- Frontline Management in Art.Ceramics Course, Fine Art tuition Tania Heben,

Solo Exhibitions

2004/2 Freestyle tout, Brisbane
2001 Design Askew, Brisbane
1999 The Grand View Fine Art Gallery, Cleveland Point
1998 Edward Blake Gallery, Cotton Tree Maroochydore
1994 ‘Cairns Post Collection’ Cairns Regional Gallery, Cairns
1993 'Bohemian Shards', Cairns Civic Theatre & Kibabe Gallery

Group Shows

2005 Manjung Gallery, Mornington Peninsula, Vic; Ashgrove Gallery
Leif’s Art Space West End; Eco’s Gallery West End
2004 Melbourne Affordable Art Show
1995 Edward De Veure Gallery, Maroochydore
1994 Kibabe Gallery Merrimbula; 'Reef & Rainforest - Cairns Regional Gallery'
'Strome Gould Retrospective', Port Douglas
1992 Crackerbox Palace, Cairns, Qld Arts Council Exhibition, Port Douglas
1998-2005 Recurring Selected Exhibitions: The Abused Child Trust, Greenslopes Hospital Art Show, Nudgee College, Red Cross Gold Coast, Grand View Hotel Fine Art Gallery, St Sebastian’s Biennial, Ashgrove Art Show, Rosalie Art Show, Rotary Art Show (new)

Prizes & Achievements

2005, 2000 and 1993 R A D F Grants: Douglas Shire, Kilcoy & Livingstone Shire,
2004, 2003 Women’s Law Association Qld, Commissioned Artist for Award prize
2004 Brisbane city council & DET Chermside Art Project - Lead Artist
2000 Nudgee College Art Show, 2nd prize, Contemporary
1994 TAFE Mossman Acquisition prize, 'Bohemian Women',

Private Collections: Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, UK, Canada, Japan and the USA.