Mar 2

Katy Bishop

Katy Bishop is an abstract alcohol ink painter who has exhibited across California and extensively online. Notable accomplishments include a first place award at Betsy Lueke Gallery in Burbank, California. Solo exhibitions include Gallery 608 in Santa Monica and Tag Gallery in Los Angeles.

The ink paintings are executed on glass, plexiglass, and paper giving off a variety of textural appearances and smooth surfaces. These abstractions are extremely colorful usually containing neon and pastel colors. She uses a contemporary palette of colors such as magenta, purple, hot pink, fuschia, turquoise, and chartreuse greens. There remains an often aquatic appearance to the paintings even though the intention exists of non-objectivity.

Often containing reflected tones and bubbles of light, these gradual transitions spread the color subtly across the surface. There appears to be carefully controlled drips and splashes of ink which bleeds throughout the composition. Sometimes the abstractions come across as being inspired by shapes of flower petals or even landscapes as a few pieces have a line of paint spread along the plane, even if unintentional.

One piece in particular which draws attention contains the title Playtime which is displayed at the top of the article. The painting, although consistent with Katy’s body of work, remains unique among the series because there are clear blocks of formed aqua-like color. The painting may reflect what may be a scene out of a heavy urban center like downtown Los Angeles or New York City, driving past neon lights of flashy screens or the passing light in an urban night club. Playtime, appropriately named, has a distinctive contemporary approach to painting with the manufactured colors and high contrast unusual in earlier eras of artmaking. The work even reminds me of the song Southside by Moby, a thoroughly cynical urban song referencing the flashy glitz and glamor of city life.

Although many of Katy’s pieces contain organic-like forms inspired directly or indirectly by nature. Thru the Veil remains one such example, pictured above. The painting contains earth tones rarely used in her work which form almost like a pine cone with purple drips seeming to reflect rain with a bright light source above indicating the sun as a deep naples yellow light. None of these qualities may have been her intention, however there are subtle similarities to natural elements in the forms within the paintings.

In summary, as we approach and take in these pristine paintings, we should reflect on the relaxing and eternal nature of art. These works of ink on glass and paper can be enjoyed with a glass of wine and soothing music or still silence. The best approach I believe to Katy Bishop’s work exists as meditative and appreciating the breaking form of the pigments as a statement and work of art within. Think of looking at a bed of flowers or waves of the ocean, we do not ponder on the meaning of such observations, we just enjoy the experience and the existence of being. Katy Bishop’s paintings are beings within themselves.