Catalina Christensen - Katabasis
100 x 100 cm, metal pigments, indigo and glair on primed canvas, 2020
This work is from new series called Underland, inspired by Robert Macfarlane’s book of the same name. Although nature and geology have always been a source of inspiration to Catalina, reading the book alerted her to the extent to which she had overlooked the subterranean in her work, despite its clear connection to pigments.
Catalina Christensen
Catalina’s work stems from the notion of the ‘sublime experience’ in relation to memories and recollections of journeys to wild and isolated places, where she felt a sense of freedom. Her aim is to evoke her experience of being in nature, through a painting language that depicts the essence and atmosphere of particular places, rather than their physical reality. She is fascinated by experimentation and the alchemy of materials. Due to ecological concerns, her practice is as environmentally neutral as possible. She uses egg tempera and prepares pigments from natural materials, leading to the creation of paintings and 3D objects. Catalina is Co Founder of the Wilderness Art Collective.