Bonfires of 1986
Kate Woods
by Kathryn Tsui
Artist Kate Woods constructs unique photographic
arrangements that combine photography, painting and sculpture.
Bonfires of 1986 is an exhibition of
new works developed in Beijing while she was attending an artist residency
programme. For this series, Woods researched the beginnings of China’s
contemporary art scene, focusing on the work of politically motivated performance
art group, Xiamen Dada, during the mid-1980s.
Using documentary photographs of performances and
exhibitions by the group, Woods reassembles elements of their infamous works in
newly composed photographic settings. Key art ‘happenings’ are featured in
these new works, such as Xiamen Dada burning their paintings outside the
Cultural Palace of Xiamen, and an exhibition in which the group replaced their artworks
with building materials from nearby construction sites.
These photographic compositions also include
handmade miniatures inspired by Chinese traditional craft forms, along with
Woods signature faceted sculptural shapes within images of construction sites
and housing development advertisements. The resulting works provide critical
reflections on China’s rapid urbanisation.
Kate Woods
photographic constructions are landscapes within a landscape. Her montages
explore reality and how photography is used to ‘manufacture’ versions of
reality.
Artist Biography
Kate
Woods is a Wellington-based artist who holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Elam
School of Fine Arts, Auckland University (2002). In 2012 Woods was the
recipient of an Asia New Zealand Foundation Artist in Residency in Bejing,
China. Woods has exhibited in artist run spaces, dealer and public galleries
including Te Tuhi Centre for the Arts, Auckland, XYZ Collective, Tokyo and City
Gallery Wellington. Her work is featured in the publication, Seen This Century: 100 Contemporary NZ
Artists, by Warwick Brown. Woods work is held in the James Wallace Arts Trust collection and
Wellington City Council Art Collection.
