OCAD alumnae Kristine Moran and Katie Pretti are rising art stars who work exclusively with paint. We found out just what goes into their work.
With all the technology of the 21st century close at hand, it seems almost archaic for an artist to work exclusively with paint. But there is nothing old-fashioned about the part abstract, part figurative canvasses of rising stars Kristine Moran and Katie Pretti. Both OCAD alumnae with shows on until the end of the month, these two artists prove painting can be just as animated and electrifying as any moving image. Here’s a closer look at what goes into their work.
Katie Pretti
Born: July 6, 1980 (Toronto).
Home base: Returned to Toronto after living and working in Los Angeles, Buenos Aires, and Paris.
Creative HQ: Her Toronto apartment.
Current artist statement: “It’s about being in between states—physical states, geographic states, and states of consciousness.”
Artistic process: “I always have 10 going on at the same time.”
Pre-painting studies: Printmaking.
Soundtrack: “Music drives my process, so I’m almost always in headphones while working. The playlist for my most recent body of work included Portishead, Liturgy, the Knife, and Trust.”
If you could paint anyone or any place, what would it be?: “I don’t really think about rendering specific people or places.”
Favourite colour: “I don’t have a favourite colour, exactly. However, the art nerd in me is inclined to say that my favourite pigment is Mars Yellow.”
Dream artist dinner-party guests: “Georgia O’Keeffe—but it would be an afternoon picnic in the desert. Eugene Delacroix—but I’d probably be too nervous to eat. Tracey Emin—but it would involve little food.”
If you could be in any museum or gallery, what would it be?: Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris.
If her exhibition were a movie, it would be…: …Black Swan. No doubt. A ballerina’s prima dreams twirl into nightmare. You can almost feel the tickle of muslin and the dribble of blood.
Price range of work in current show: $1,800–$9,000.
Supernatural alter ego per her artist statement: Ghost.
“Fear In Waiting” by Kristine Moran
Kristine Moran
Born: March 6, 1974 (Montreal).
Home base: Brooklyn.
Creative HQ: Her Brooklyn studio.
Current artist statement: “I went to this place called Wave Hill in the South Bronx, where they have this amazing tropical conservatory. It inspired me to make this dense environment of foliage where things would be hidden.”
Artistic process: “I usually take all my paintings up to three-quarters completion and then I let one sit and start on others.”
Pre-painting studies: Landscape architecture.
Soundtrack: “I listen to NPR on the radio throughout the day. Fresh Air is good.”
If you could paint anyone or any place, what would it be?: “I’d paint from the inside of my four-month-old son’s mind, seeing everything anew for the first time.”
Favourite colour: “I like colour that has a vast range of transparency and opacity. Holbein’s Imidazolone Brown is pretty special.”
Dream artist dinner-party guest: “I would have a huge dinner party with the MOMTRA list—successful women artists who are also mothers.”
If you could be in any museum or gallery, what would it be?: MOMA, N.Y.C.
If her exhibition were a movie, it would be…: …The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Okay, not exactly, but the flora factor is undeniable. Rain-drenched soil boasts orchids, lilies, and hibiscus, while palm fronds provide shade.
Price range of work in current show: $6,000–$22,000.
Supernatural alter ego per her artist statement: Clairvoyant.
—With files from Sidney Cohen.
Kristine Moran’s show, “Between Life and Death,” is on until Nov. 24 at the Daniel Faria Gallery, 188 St. Helen’s Ave., 416-538-1880, danielfariagallery.com. Katie Pretti’s show, “Swoon,” is on until Nov. 24 at Neubacher Shor Contemporary, 5 Brock Ave., 416-546-3683, neubachershor.com.
