Art, Underneath the Surface #03

Face to face
with artist photographer
Catherine Hourihan

1) Who are you?Catherine has always been an artist, she attended COFA straight out of high school in the 80’s when it was City Art Institute. At art school she explored numerous mediums including photography but she majored in painting with a film making minor. After leaving art college Catherine embraced film making and joined the Sydney Super 8 Film Group. Her films were shown regularly at the Chauvel Cinema and at in the Super 8 section of the Sydney Film festival. In the late 80’s she went to a modern dance class at Sydney Dance Company and never looked back.

From the late 80’s through to 2008 Catherine devoted herself to dance and choreography. She made multiple short works in the late 80’s and early 90’s and Joined Entre’act Physical Theatre Company in ’91. In ’94 she was invited by the Performance Space to make a full evening multimedia solo dance work, “Neverness”, which was reviewed in Dance Australia and The Sydney Morning Herald.

Catherine moved to NYC in 1996 where she continued her dance studies and choreographic practice. She presented her work in numerous notable venues and festivals including Dance Theatre Workshop, PS 122, Judson Church and HERE Arts Centre in NY, and Tacheles art centre in Berlin. In 2007 she was awarded a Swing Space grant by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. She collaborated with film maker Pam Kray to make “The Art of Falling” a 5 person multi media Dance performance.

After returning to Sydney in 2008 Catherine began to focus on photography. Photography had long been an interest and throughout her choreographic career Catherine often worked with projected imagery so it felt like a long awaited joy to be able to focus on taking pictures, although she does still occasionally miss the stage.

Nowhere man by Catherine Hourihan.
Limited edition of 8

2) When did you start taking picturesCatherine first began taking pictures in 2007 when she was still living in NYC, she spent 6 months taking documentary back stage pictures of the NY burlesque scene.

3) Where do you get your inspirationWhen she first started photographing it was the backstage world of the burlesque that inspired her, a burlesque performer for many years she loved being back stage, it was such a place of transformation. As a performer it was where you spent most of your time and where the community of performers shared stories, eyelash glue and glitter it was where friendships were forged – it felt like a magical place. After arriving in Sydney Catherine began the fantastical portrait series. The inspiration for these pictures came from her imagination, moments in her life and also the people in each picture informed the idea behind each image, Catherine has always been fascinated by people. Inspiration also comes form other artists from Rene Magritte, to Annie Lebowitz.

Stranger than Angels by Catherine Hourihan.
Limited edition of 8

4) Which artwork is your favouriteI don’t really have one I like them all! It changes all the time but some of the ones I like best are “Phoenix” the portrait of Lance Leopard and the self portrait, “The last Rose” .

5) What’s next?I’m working on a new series based on the Last Rose picture, the work is about fertility ageing and sexuality from a female perspective. I took some pictures for the series when I was in NY recently for an exhibition. With this series of images I’m experimenting a lot with lighting and printing them on fine art paper so they are very matt and velvety. The series is coming along I have to start looking for a place to show it I’m also planning on integrating a performance installation into this next show.

The Last Rose by Catherine Hourihan.
Limited edition of 8

ArtShine Gallery, an associated exhibition of the Head On Photo Festival run until Sunday 31 May 2015. I recommend that you pay a visit to Chippendale and discover these great photography on show.

ArtShine Gallery
www.artshinegallery.com
E: gallery@artshine.com.au
3 Blackfriars St, Chippendale NSW 2008
Australia