Dance of the Shadows by Kate Florence
Noosa-based artist Kate Florence translates the movement and freedom of dance into abstract paintings, creatively manipulating light and shadow for her latest show, Dance of the Shadows, at No Vacancy gallery in Melbourne.
Words: Georgie Ward | Photography: Keith Hamlyn
Eternal Play by Kate Florence. Photo: Keith Hamlyn
‘Working with paint is a real journey, I feel as though I am still very much exploring how to work with it, how to find myself through paint,’ says Kate Florence. Photo: Keith Hamlyn
‘I approach dance and painting in the same way, freestyle, open movement without ideas of where I am going, but am just open to being guided by intuition,’ says Kate Florence.
Moving from England to Melbourne in 2018, Kate Florence began to pursue her journey as an artist, chasing a lifestyle of freedom to concentrate on growing her passions and dreams.
On completing art school back in Britain, Kate moved onto line drawings that gradually transitioned into painting, and has been exploring this medium ever since.
‘At art school, I was always asked to work deeply into conceptual ideas, every single aspect had to be explained and dissected, it was less about the outcome, and more about the thought process and research behind the concept. As a practical person I found this a little jarring,’ says Kate.
In her work, Kate lets her hand and body guide her work, she believes that creating art is a powerful expression of self, and it can feel restricting to have to put every decision into words. She paints a myriad of matter, usually silhouettes, bodies, faces and nature, as well as more abstract markings.
Shifting away from a heavily conceptual focus, Kate magnifies the importance of intuition and the freedom and unpredictability of the artistic process. In her latest series at No Vacancy gallery in Melbourne, Dance of the Shadows, she explores the movement of dance, translating movement and energy into still painting pieces.
The project was realised during a creative block – eager for ideas she lay some canvas on the floor and moved to the sounds of music. With crayons strapped to her fingers and toes, she danced lines, shapes, and markings across the surface of her canvas. Then if she liked the lines she created, she used these shapes as the outlines for a new painting.
‘I always loved art at school and really felt at home within all the creative subjects. I have very creative and supportive parents, so art was always around me. I gravitated towards textiles and sculptural work at school, I always felt like I wasn’t very good at painting or drawing.’ Photo: Keith Hamlyn
Between Moments by Kate Florence Photo: Keith Hamlyn
‘It took some time to discover my own style, or what kind of work felt good and aligned with me, as I didn’t do much drawing or painting at uni I still hadn’t discovered my style yet,’ says Kate Florence. Pictured: One of Many Minds by Kate Florence. Photo: Keith Hamlyn
“I love the freedom in the learned approach I have taken to creating, now I have embraced it, and decided to let go of the idea of controlling many areas of my practice, it has really elevated my practice and also my life.”
Finding the Shape that Fits by Kate Florence. Photo: Keith Hamlyn
Kate Florence x Neighbourhood Studio - the second sculpture between Kate and Lucas Wearne of Neighbourhood Studio. Photo: Kate Florence
‘I’m a very practical person who learns through doing, so I started to draw and explore what worked and what didn’t. Then I slowly began to sell my drawings, drawings then shifted gradually into paintings, and I’ve been exploring this ever since.’ Photo: Keith Hamlyn
‘I’ve always loved dance and movement, it took me a while to see it as another form of creative expression, but now I see it as a big part of me and my practice. For me, my dance stimulates my paintings, they’re interconnected, they feed each other, I dance to paint and I paint to dance.’
Kate describes her painting practice as a never ending journey of growth, failure, perseverance and confidence. While being an experienced and very talented artist, she consciously chooses the ‘beginners mindset’, she explains ‘the more certain we are of what we know, the more we are cut off from what we don’t know – all knowing is grounded in not knowing.’
For Kate, creating artwork is an emotional portal, an outlet to express what words can not, ‘I can’t think about other things when I paint, I’m just there, with the brush and canvas, wondering where it will take me.’
Her work space is shared alongside two other female emerging painters, where she enjoys her days at the studio accompanied with conversation, critique and fun. This year, she has reunited with embroidery, a big part of her childhood that she continues to enjoy years later.
DANCE OF THE SHADOWS BY KATE FLORENCE AT NO VACANCY GALLERY
MONDAY 12TH - SUNDAY 18TH SEPTEMBER
34 - 40 Jane Bell Lane, Melbourne