Kate Sciandra

Artist’s Statement

In the Windows- KATE SCIANDRA. One thing that unifies all my work is the theme of deeply seeing, being seen, and the intimacy that results.

During the countless hours spent as a figure model, being an object for others to find aesthetically and artistically useful. I became obsessed with capturing the compositions that would reveal themselves to me while I worked. I began to have a fascination with what it means to be seen and to simultaneously be the seer. Like an optical illusion where from one side, the object becomes the viewer and then with a shift of the eye, flips back again.

Having both the regular experience of my body being the subject, and having worked in the healing profession with the bodies of others as my subject for over 20 years. I have a deep understanding of the body as something both intimate and abstract. This pairing has translated and evolved into a way that I perceive, and then reflect the world at large.<

Creating a balance of universality and specificity. I work to capture objects, places, and people in ways that penetrate their nature, while also creating an image that has an aesthetic distance. Sometimes reaching into the abstract. This generates a tension that is compelling for the viewer, drawing them into an even deeper relationship with the subject and the work itself.

The focus of Susan Hensel Gallery is on compelling objects, meaningful use of materials, and engaging sculpture. It is a gallery where experimental ideas and works of the hand join to create unique sensory experiences. Opened September 10th, 2004 Susan Hensel Gallery is a gallery/ workspace presenting 5-6 shows per year in an intimate space. With hardwood floors and high tin ceilings. In 2013 the interior space reverted to a working studio for Susan Hensel where she continues to work on small and largescale artwork that engages both sculptural and cultural space. You can find her current work at www.SusanHenselProjects.com. The Susan Hensel Gallery is now both a large window gallery on Cedar Avenue. A main thoroughfare in south Minneapolis, and an online venture represented on Artsy.net.