THE JOY OF INK
Katharine McGuinness Studio Monotypes by Sandra Phillips

Artist Kate McGuinness passionately loves her work and the process involved. She is truly one of the most openly passionate artists I have met in a long time. She goes to the studio every day and creates art, and she loves what she does. As a skilled printmaker, her virtuosity is the process. Her eyes sparkle when she speaks of the glories of ink. When asked why she chose printmaking over painting she quickly responded "I love ink! I always have." Her dynamic abstract work exposes stunning shades of color and forms using a rich tapestry of ink. The result is an intricately woven composition of color and shape. Beautiful sensations of color. Her inventory of exquisite colors is endless. What begins as an abstract image of perceived flatness suddenly exposes the elusive shades of foreground. McGuinness' provocative compositions of abstract monotypes represent a pure spontaneity. All of her work features the same accomplished technique. Her art is dazzling.
     Interestingly, the honor of first working seriously with the monotype process goes to the Italian artist Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, a contemporary of Rubens and Rembrandt in the seventeenth century. After his death in 1670 little was done with the monotype until the latter part of the nineteenth century. However, the art of monotype printmaking is enjoying great interest and enthusiasm in the art market now. McGuinness is a master at this centuries-old technique. She has been refining and reinventing her artistic expression for about twenty-five years. As you quickly see in McGuinness' figurative work, the monotype offers countless facets for individual experimentation. Very influenced by music, McGuinness creates intimate scenes of figurative gesturing and interaction. Although her fluid universal forms are clearly male and female, they are mysteriously seductive and alluring. The viewer is part of a private dialogue between two people. Each time one returns, a new detail is revealed. In these figurative pieces, the most accidental movements are captured, as in a snapshot, within a richly decorative web of interior color. The movements of these elegantly dressed cast of characters are accentuated by their fluid forms. The tactile palette of pattern and silky fabric seemingly woven from her ink. A glimpse into their private lives and you want to return again and again. The artist derives titles from lyrics of songs such as "Queens, Their Eyes Blue Like Ice." Audience participation and connectedness is a major impetus of McGuinness' work. Whispered poetry from the prosaic dance of relationships. Dazzling verbal subtleties are provocative. Kate's passion for art is contagious, and you'll find yourself enjoying every moment spent in her contemporary studio surrounded by her provocative art. She welcomes visitors to her studio at 74 West 11th Avenue. She is open to the public the First Friday of each month from 5 pm to 9 PM and by appointment. Contact her at (303) 573-5095 or www.mcguinnessstudio.com. The art of Katharine McGuinness can also be seen Memorial Day weekend at "Celebrate Colorado Artists."
Sandra Phillips is an art historian
teaching on the Auraria Campus and
a Denver-based freelance writer. She
can be reached at 303-556-5788 or
sandraphillipsgallery@hotmail.com