Kathy Cornwell
Artist Statement: I create abstract mixed media collages with striking graphic impact by employing layers of organic shapes and mark making. By creating my own collage papers and elements, I imbue them with my voice and personal meaning. I further my control of the imagery and symbolism by creating my own stencils and masks and using them to infuse my inner world into the layers of my prints.
I collect inspiration—whether it be a shadow, a doodle, or a plant that I discover on a hike—and use it in a monoprint printmaking process, either directly (in the case of plants) or by creating a mask based on the inspiration. The resulting artwork does not look like this piece of inspiration, but rather has that inspirational element as part of its layers. For example, I may see a shadow, take a photo of it, and cut a mask with that shape to use in printmaking. As those prints become more layered and are added to a collage, the shadow retreats into the layers and becomes part of a bigger story.
My collages are bold and colorful, striking the viewer from across the room while enticing them to come look closely at the details within the layers. Negative space plays a vital role in my collages, taking the viewer’s eye on a delightful journey throughout the piece.
My work urges the viewer (and me) to appreciate and accept ourselves just as we are today, to see ourselves in our beautiful totality, and to love ourselves unconditionally and unapologetically. A key element of my process involves studying—and celebrating—the transformative effect of cutting or ripping a paper into a shape. This inquiry into shape reflects my search for acceptance regarding the changes in my body as I experience menopause and the effects of breast cancer treatment. My imperfect and aging body is my home for this lifetime, and it is a miraculous and lovable thing in spite of (or perhaps because of) my curved spine, lumpy and nippleless post-mastectomy breasts, bulging leg veins, thinning and graying hair, wrinkled skin, and drooping jowls. There are many elements in my art that look like odd creatures. By presenting the viewer with these shapes that are imperfectly perfect, I’m declaring that all shapes (of paper and of people) are beautiful and valuable.
Biography: Kathy Cornwell spent years working as an assistant to glassblowers and as a writer for visual artists. This felt like being a wallflower stationed at the punch bowl at a dance, dutifully doling out cups of punch to grateful dancers but missing out on the reason she came. Finally—in her 50s—Kathy abandoned the punch bowl and joined in the dance. Her exuberant and bold mixed media collages have been in numerous group exhibitions in the United States and shortlisted for the 2022 Contemporary Collage Magazine Awards. She lives in Virginia with her husband and their rescue dog.
