Kate Kretz Lecture: Oct 8th

Kate Kretz visited VCU and spoke in the Fin Arts building on wednesday morning, October 9th. Kretz recieved her BFA in drawing and painting from Binghamton University & Her MFA in painting from the University of Georgia. She has done over 25 solo exhibitions, and been the recipient of many awards, including the recent North Carolina Arts Council Grant. While Kretz is currently displaying primarily textiles and emroideries, her work depends largley on her fine art training.

Kretz opened the lecture with slides from her ealier works. Her first paintings were nightscapes, inspired by her insomnia as a child, whcich she would remedy with a trip outside. She discussed her major influences, saying that she learned her sense of melodrama from her home, which was filled with "techni-color movies and catholicism".

Kretz has chosen to present the majority of her work in non-profit and university galleries, saying that she is allowed more control over how her work is displayed, and that in the end, the results are more rewarding.

Moving into her textiles and mixed media, Kretz show'd her vast experimentation with materials. She created a series of clothing (for displa; not a line to be sold) entilted "Phsycological Clothing". Two particular peices stand out above the others. A dress, titled "Passive", is embroidered with common passive phases such as "no, you go ahead" . A coat, titled "Defense Mechanism" is constructed out of thousands of roofing nails, punched through the material so they point outwards. The interior of the coat is stiched with the human circulation system.

Kretz's body of work is diverse, but always well-crafted and intelligent. Her work can be found at http://www.katekretz.com/