My paintings are a physical expression of my inner life, my obsessions and my demons. Painting is an act of exorcism. Not only of what is private to me but of universal themes. I venture into the uncomfortable. I face the darkness, creating something that moves my spirit, and I find something that is true.
MONKEYS: For twenty-five years I traveled to India and worked with Indian artisans creating designs; integrating India with my own sensibilities. In my paintings, the monkey has become a symbol of my soul’s journey. Embodied in the monkey I found expression for pain, sorrow, joy, and ultimately, my survival. In many of my paintings the monkey conceals his wisdom under a mask. What comes through is the power of imagination and deep passion. The monkey jumps into the mystery without fear.
MARTYRS: Raised Catholic, I am fascinated with martyrs from Christ and Saints, to current distortions found in religious beliefs. Appearing driven by faith, the ego wants much more: acknowledgment, honor, and immortality. Pain is what my martyrs are about. My martyrs may appear ecstatic and somehow linked with the divine.
MUMMIES: Mummies intrigue me. The cloth rots away and reveals the fragile layer of skin that shields the intimate secrets that I call forth as I paint. Metamorphosis perhaps takes time within the chrysalis of ice or peet or rags. I am the instrument of the mummies' resurrection.
Kate Geddes