KATHERINE COX KNAPP

In my work, I am concerned with the viewer’s direct aesthetic experience of a piece of art. I paint representational images in oil on canvas in formats from 12x14 to 36x48.

I use impasto, bold and unexpected color palettes, and dramatic compositions to lure the audience in and make it hard to look away. I seek to inspire joy, fascination, and delight, but also imbue the work with a darkness or awkwardness that makes the beauty that much more compelling.

In our age where social media has dropped a veil of self consciousness over our lives, I find an intense personal engagement with art all the more vital. With the constant presence of cameras in our pockets and friends and social media beckoning for new texts and posts, we are too often sifting through our experiences for curated, cropped, “instagramable” moments. We are distracted by our anticipation of other people’s reaction to what we see and do, reducing our ability to deeply, personally, and privately experience the world ourselves. My goal is art so mesmerizing, it circumvents that impulse.

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