CATHERINE COLE
Alternative Space (detail), digital photo installation, 2003

Catherine Cole is a graduate student at the University of Iowa where she is working towards her MFA. She currently holds a BFA from the University of Louisiana.

This is what Catherine had to say about her art: "An economy of materials is an integral subject of my installations and object making. I have an affinity for tape and rough edges. I am interested in the embellishment and recontextualization of what exists and/or of what has been discarded. The often obsessive, vulnerable and revealing nature of 'outsider' art largely influences my work, however, I am more intriqued by the idea of transforming the expectations of art within the gallery setting as the materials reveal evidence of use, functionality and history. Within the gallery walls, I seek and uncover spaces that otherwise go overlooked, covered-up or unused. I intend to transform the function of these spaces within the space and to draw attention to the inner workings, structures or networks behind the scenes. I am intrigued by the element of discovery, the shifts in scale, inhabiting generally uninhabited spaces and in expanding the possibilities and efficiency of the white cube."