Cat Crotchett
Cat Crotchett has been a professional artist for over 30 years and is known for her original paintings focusing on abstract patterns. Cat earned BFAs in Painting and Art History from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, and an MFA in Art from Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio.
Cat has been a regular presenter and instructor at the International Encaustic Conference in Provincetown, Massachusetts, and has taught painting workshops in the United States and in Indonesia.
She has an extensive exhibition record that includes solo exhibitions at Vanderbilt University, the University of Illinois Chicago, the Maryland Institute of Art, and Barbaran Segaragunung Gallery in Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia. In addition, she has a considerable record of international and national group exhibitions, has been recognized through various grants, and has been a fellow at several artist colonies – including a 2022 Golden Foundation for the Arts experimental residency. Her work is represented in numerous private and public collections. She was the 2021 Distinguished Faculty Scholar at Western Michigan University and the 2015 College of Fine Arts Roehrick Distinguished Professor, also at WMU. She teaches painting in the Gwen Frostic School of Art. Cat lives and works in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She is represented by Addington Gallery in Chicago, IL.
Contact
https://catcrotchett.com
catcrotchett@me.com
@catcrotchettart
Interview
What inspires your art practice and keeps you motivated?
The lure of the next exploration helps keep me motivated. I’ve been painting with encaustics for over 20 years, and I still make new discoveries about it. There’s always a thrill when that happens, and I feel like I have new territory to explore.
How does your mission as an artist influence the work you create?
In my paintings, I use patterns to vividly represent human emotions and experiences, and to convey not just beauty but tension. My current work represents an intersection of information and perceptions. The patterns and colors inhabit spaces that are similar, but not the same – suggesting multiple realities in the same composition. Each composition is engaged in some form of conflict, suggesting our creative resilience and transformative struggles.
Can you share a key part of your creative process that helps you stay focused?
I don’t like to play it too safe. Sometimes it’s important to have faith that one risk can lead to new territory. There’s always an element of chance in my creative process.
What mindset tip do you rely on to overcome challenges in your art career?
I have learned a lot about myself in recent years. I am adaptable, curious, flexible, and continually move forward, particularly in my creative work. I tend to lean into new experiences and challenge myself creatively. When I encounter challenges, my inclination is to give myself space to see potential paths forward. In my career, I try to have applications for opportunities out in the world. Even if those opportunities don’t come through, they’ll lead me to be open to different types of growth.
How do you hope your art impacts the world or your community?
I try to create a sense of tension and beauty existing in the same space full of color, texture, and surprises. When people want to live with my work, I feel like I’ve succeeded in creating something that communicates more universally with a life beyond me.
