Kate Rusek

Lives and works in New York, NY

Artist statement

Influenced by man-made environmental catastrophes, emotional landscapes, and ecological systems, Kate Rusek assembles highly tactile sculptures transmuting these themes into lavish maximalism. Using large quantities of collected and constructed objects, these composite forms and dynamic biophilic textures interrogate socially constructed value and material narrative. Rooted in Post Natural Studies, her objects emerge from complex processes, where the manufactured relents to fluid chaos, possessing an alluring strangeness that emerges when the body recognizes connection to our planet’s life sustaining forces. Engaging with history laden excesses, Rusek shape scenes that examine the binary between the living and manufactured worlds with an emphasis on a somatic experience of Craft. Through a lens of deep time, particular interest is placed on synthetic and highly manufactured elements as an action to transform anthropogenic ruin into an counter-economic act of rebellion. Her work is a method to posit a regenerative future and pose questions about psychological perception, socially constructed value, and a broader care ethic through a lens of desire and abundance.

Artwork