Kate Viner’s work revolves around the themes of religion, women, war, and their relationships. She is interested in shifting attitudes towards female sexuality and femininity. It is these experiences which are the driving force behind most of her work. Figurative sculpture can transcend language and celebrate what it is to be human. She believes that figurative work resonates with our need to connect with our shared humanity in our increasingly complex and noisy world of reoccurring human narratives.
Viner mixes different metals, different patinating processes and uses medieval gilding techniques. It takes extreme temperatures to manipulate unyielding metal and heat to create patinas. Working with wax and clay requires a sensitive touch. Viner enjoys these different processes and speeds of thinking. Unexpected outcomes and mistakes often feed ideas. The process of bronze casting has remained relatively unchanged over the centuries. All the materials used are natural and recyclable to create something that is made to last through the generations. It serves as a physical object that transcends time, making us consider the connection between the past, present and future. Creativity transcends time. Nothing is created in isolation.
Freedom, Strength, Balance and Don't Prepare the Path art all part of Viner’s “Shape of Faith” series. The dancing figures in this series are lightly balanced – like life itself. Each figure represents the stages of a woman's life. Viner works from life requiring a model to be supported by ropes in each position for as long as is possible. In order to maintain energy and facilitate quick pose changes she sets the studio up with the model in the centre of the space, on a turn table, with all the sculptures set around her in a circle. This enables her to move rapidly from one piece to another.
Huddle was inspired by Rodin’s work, “The Burghers of Calais.” Just as the city of Calais was asked to sacrifice its most powerful resources - the wealthy privileged men, so society continues to globally sacrifice one of our most powerful, undervalued recourses - women. The noose and chain in Rodin’s piece is one that women experience through female subordination. Women can experience devaluation through cultural thought, language and imagery. However, Huddle can be read as a nurturing and protective work.
With figurative sculpture, the speed, pace of the line, and the way one handles and manipulates the material, are all a response to the emotion of the subject. To Viner sculpting feels like conducting. It is important for her to understand how muscles overlap and react to affect movement and form in order to have creative freedom to push the sculpted forms. By observing the human form one becomes acutely aware of the muscles sensations; some relaxed, loose and soft, in contrast to the intensity of the hard, knotted, tightly coiled ones. Every muscle, however small, reflects energy of thought.
Still and silent, figurative sculpture creates an opportunity for timeless contemplation.