It was while discovering piles of feathers lost by pigeons nesting in abandoned buildings that Kate MccGwire had the idea to work with this material. It was fifteen years ago. The adventure began with the ever-renewed collection of feathers from pigeon breeders and hunters alike, the artist using only the plumage of birds from our countryside, in their natural splendor. Meticulously prepared, each feather is selected for its size, its shape, its drawing and its color. A demanding task, sometimes requiring only one feather per wing to possess all the necessary qualities. Like a painter, the artist composes her palette. Subtle nuances of tone allow her to accentuate shadows and light, sculpting volumes and playing with light. She thus accentuates the contortions of a duck feather boa imprisoned in a glass cage, creates the perspectives of a pheasant feather carpet inspired by Robert Adam's at Harewood House, or the movement of a stream of magpie feathers, flowing peacefully across a painting or bursting from a skylight.
Water, which has been a constant companion since childhood, is one of her primary sources of inspiration. She understands its beauty, but also its dangers. This underlying duality is also reflected in her organic forms, both animal and human, and is expressed in her double-meaning titles that shed new light on her works. She allows her intuition to guide her creations, which speak to our unconscious, both individual and collective, and deepen our understanding. Her hybrid forms highlight the community of perfect shapes created by nature, of which she becomes the interpreter. With Kate MccGwire, the universe fits in a feather.
Kate MccGwire presented by Galerie des filles du Calvaire – 17, rue des Filles du Calvaire, Paris 3rd
From March 26 to May 7, 2022
Anomie Publishing, 2021
Sophie Reyssat
