For this exhibition, Cat Auburn has created seven new wall-hung leather sculptures — shrouds that speak to that which is obscured. On one level, they are simple explorations of form – sketch-like referencing classical sculpture, anatomy and life drawing. They also suggest diverse narratives around memory and grief, transience and mortality and the role of sculptural monuments.
From the Renaissance to the 21st century, worm-ridden to diamond-encrusted, skulls have featured in western art. Here Cat brings her distinctive take on the tradition allowing her chosen medium to drape and mould — almost theatrically but ultimately simply, quietly, richly suggestive.
This body of work has shown in the following exhibitions: 2015, Ways to Leave Your Lover, Bartley and Company Art, Wellington (NZ); 2016, Show and Tell, Milford Galleries, Dunedin (NZ); 2017/18, Wunderkammer, Milford Galleries, Dunedin (NZ).
Cat Auburn (2015). Shroud. leather. photo credit: Bartley + Company Art
Cat Auburn (2015). Bovine Shroud. leather. photo credit: Bartley + Company Art
Cat Auburn (2015). left: Feline Shroud. leather; right: Avine Shroud. leather. photo credit: Bartley + Company Art
Cat Auburn (2015). Ovine Shroud. leather. photo credit: Bartley + Company Art
Cat Auburn (2015). left: Ovine Shroud. leather; right: Cervine Shroud. leather. photo credit: Bartley + Company Art
Cat Auburn (2015). Elaphine Shroud. leather. photo credit: Bartley + Company Art
Cat Auburn. Ways to Leave Your Lover, installation image. Bartley + Company Art, Wellington (NZ) June 2015. photo credit: Bartley + Company Art
Cat Auburn (2015). Bovine Shroud, installation image. Show and Tell, Milford Galleries, Dunedin (NZ) February 2016. photo credit: Milford Galleries.
