Kate Langrish Smith MRSS

My practice explores the tension, fusion, balance and harmony of textured, haptic and chromatic compositions and assemblages. Bodies of matter, which allude to, or exist in relation to the site of the human body; in either their suggestive forms or desirable materials. These sculptural ‘moments’, some temporal, some fixed, represent my conceptual and material connections with my current obsessions. I seek to challenge the symbolic function and value of various body related objects that draw my attention; from chance encounters and observations to historical discoveries and the subsequent connections I find or make, however ambiguous or tenuous they may seem. The corresponding forms – vessels, tools and artefacts – are starting points for collections and clusters of objects which reconnect and elevate disparate places in time through a common language of ritual, desire and fascination.

As a sculptor I am captivated by the transformative properties of the materials I work with, the liquid to solid states and the magic of chemical transformation through heat, time and atmosphere and of course the force, energy and presence of the maker. Both clay and plaster offer a malleability and practicality, through coiling, slab building, casting and carving, they contrast, elevate and excite my imagination and offer the possibility of trying to capture these transformative moments, through multiple exploration of the varying matter and materialities.