CATHLEEN CLARKE: Hungry Soul

My work is inspired by childhood and the enigmas that surround it. I have long explored the ever profound themes of memory, mystery, and the passing of time through my portrayal of subjects, often appearing and disappearing as distorted figures in my paintings. Each layer of paint is an attempt to interpret a moment in time that would have otherwise been overlooked or forgotten, and evokes a reminiscence that is slowly, sometimes resistingly, fading away. 

I am influenced by the personal experience of my childhood, and frequently reference old family photo albums, collected letters and notes, as well as films and books that continue to pervade my own thoughts and memories. Although I may begin a painting from a concrete reference, as I paint, I look at it less and less, allowing myself the chance to expose and interpret subtleties in everyday moments that are often unseen. Imagination and wonder become key elements in my work. In this way, the reference becomes only a small piece in my process, and is sensed only as but a fleeting imprint, embedded within the end result, creating the space for a life both beyond and outside of the original moment. 

In my most recent body of work, I've created a group of paintings that are loosely based on the 1955 thriller noir film Night of the Hunter. While the film, which draws on the true story of Harry Powers, who was hanged in 1932 for the murder of two widows and three children in Clarksburg, West Virginia, is most notably centered around the dichotomy of good vs. evil, I am most interested in exploring the underlying motifs of religion, youth, innocence, deception, vulnerability, and misogyny. The process of rewatching this film as an adult, viewed alongside other TV shows, books, music and even some personal photos, has brought these themes to the surface, allowing for an opportunity to center them in my practice through my own palette, vernacular, and subjects.