Artist's Statement

As a multi-media artist with a strong background in metal design, I am seduced by the limitless potential of sterling silver, bronze, and steel. My enthusiasm for the techniques and traditions of metalwork is rivaled only by a wild preoccupation with mechanical toys and the discrepancy between the public's perception of an imagined techno-future and that future that we now inhabit.

My zoetropic works consist of a cast of solid inflexible characters engaged in repetitive motions, which conjure dreamy cinematic operations and allude to a modern life characterized by escapism, frenzy, and consumption. With these installations I intend to mesmerize and enchant the viewer through optical illusion and sound; possessed silhouettes in flickering shadow figure prominently throughout my kinetic compositions while juxtaposing merriment and exhilaration with apprehension and bewilderment. This carnivalesque world illuminates social disparities - studies in deviance and spectacle that reflect the conflicting dynamics of attraction and repulsion.

The juxtaposition of humor and charm with iconic memory and craftsmanship lures viewers into a playful state where magic is encouraged to linger. Using plush and tin toys as metaphors, I create installations and videos highlighting the societal penchant for over-consumption and over-production. I deconstruct grossly abundant supplies of forgotten toys to reveal not only the function of minute inner mechanisms, but also the unseen beauty of design and alternate personas.

Driven by a fascination with the fleeting value placed on low-priced multiple objects farmed out of factories in record numbers, I take unstuffed, discarded, mechanical rejects and introduce new identities. The underlying plastic object embodies more potential for my imagination than the stuffed object layered with intricate marketing identities. It is these unstuffed plastic oddities that I reinvent in precious metals. This contrast between the discarded forgotten object and the cherished one underscores societal contradictions and reintroduces us to the magical quality of flipping frogs, drumming monkeys, and slowly turning carousels.

 

Education

1997    MFA, University of Washington

1995    BFA, Texas Tech University, Cum Laude

 

Exhibitions

2009, Remains, Design Miami, Moss, Miami, FL

2009, Remains, Moss Gallery, New York, NY

2009, Poncho Invitational, Western Bridge, Seattle WA

2009, Zoetrope; Circus and Robotic Animals, Nassau County Museum, Roslyn Harbor, NY

2008, The Toy Show, Hans Weiss Newspace Gallery, Manchester, CT

2007, Menagerie, Neuhoff/Edelman Gallery, New York, NY

2006, Wired Forest, Kirkland Arts Space, Kirkland, WA

2006, A Raucous Look at the Persistence of Vision, MUSA, Seattle, WA

2005, People Doing Strange Things With Electricity ll, Dorkbot, SID Inc, Center on Contemporary Art, Seattle, WA

2005, Persistence of Vision, MUSA, Seattle, WA

2005, Obsessions, SID Inc, Thread For Art, Seattle, WA

2005, Outside In, SID Inc., Bumbershoot, Seattle, WA

2004, Labor Lines, Thread for Art, Seattle, WA

2004, Hindsight: Frozen Moments, SID Inc, Consolidated Works, Seattle, WA

2004, Domesticity, SID Inc., Thread for Art, Seattle, WA

2003, Meet George Jetson, Bumbershoot Arts Festival, Seattle, WA

2003, Coupling, SID Inc, CMA Gallery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA

2003, The Last Judgment Project, Bumbershoot Arts Festival, Seattle, WA

2003, Dorkbot, SID, Inc, Center on Contemporary Art, Seattle, WA

2003, Fashion is Art, Runway Performance/Exhibition/Publication, Curated by Thread for Art, Bumbershoot, Seattle, WA

2003, Speak and Spell, SID Inc, SOIL, Seattle, WA

2002, Outside the Box, Downtown YMCA, curator, Seattle, WA

2002, First War of the New Millennium, Soil, Seattle, WA

2002, LAVA 2002: Seattle Contemporary Art, Noodleworks, Seattle, WA

2001, Here I Am, Entertain Me! Commencement Art Gallery, Tacoma, WA

2001, Pop Mechanics, Susquehanna Art Museum, Harrisburg, PA

2001, Pop Mechanics, Milton Hershey Museum, Hershey, PA

2001, Here I Am, Entertain Me! Commencement Art Gallery, Tacoma, WA

2001, Fuseball, Consolidated Works, Seattle, WA

2001, Independent Exposure, Vital 5 Productions, Seattle, WA

2001, Public Dedication Day Performance, Bellevue Art Museum, WA

2001, First Light, Bellevue Art Museum, Bellevue, WA

2001, Domesticity, Donut Shop 3, Portland, OR

2000, Pacific Northwest Annual, Bellevue Art Museum, WA

2000, Art and Technology-Media for the New Century, Archer Gallery, Clark College, Vancouver, WA

2000, Donut Shop Two, Donut Shop, Portland, OR

2000, Art & Technology: A Marriage for a New Millennium,Bush Barn Art Center, Salem OR

2000, East of Eden-Splendor in the Bash, Henry Art Gallery, Seattle, WA

1999, Team works, New Kinetic Sculpture, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA

1999, Le Quai Fete, residency exhibit, Quai de la Gare, Paris

1998, Carnival of Life, Meyerson & Nowinski, Seattle, WA

1998, Bellevue Sculpture Exhibition, Meydenbauer, Bellevue, WA

1998, Betty Bowen Award Twentieth Anniversary Exhibition, Washington State Convention Center, Seattle

1998, Home Alive Benefit, Richard Hugo House, Seattle, WA

1997, MFA Thesis Exhibition, Henry Art Gallery, Seattle, WA

1996, Scissor Kick, Ceramic Metal Arts, University of Washington, Seattle, WA

1996, The Box, Gallery of Fine Woodworking, Seattle, WA

1996, Works in Progress, Jacob Lawrence Gallery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA

1996, Spiral, Highland Park Gallery, Dallas, TX

1995, Works on Paper + Small 3-D, Jacob Lawrence Gallery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA

1995, FOVA Eighth Annual Student Competition, FOVA Gallery, Texas Technological University, Lubbock, TX

1994, North American Juried Student Exhibition, Contemporary Crafts Gallery, Portland, OR

1994, New Statements in Sterling. National Student Sterling Design Competition, Coeur d'Alene Resort, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho; Lever House, NY; The NY Merchandise Mart, NY; Frye Art Museum, Seattle, WA

 

Publications

Pilar Vilades. Now Showing I Stuffed Animals, Cuddly No More, New York Times, November 18, 2009

Patti Payne, Puget Sound Buisiness Journal, Page 21, October 9-15, 2009

Sanchez, Marisa. Betty Bowen Award Thirty Years, catalog, 2009

Kobasa, Stephen Vincent. Playing For Real – Reconsidering childhood things, Hartford Advocate, February 28, 2008

Baker, R.C. Best In Show – Cathy McClure Menagerie, Village Voice, November 20, 2007

Hackett, Regina. In the Galleries, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, February 2. 2006

Samantha Scherer, First War of the New Millennium, SOIL, catalog. 2005

Seekings, Kate. People Doing Strange Things With Electricity II, DORKBOT, art using tech/tech making art, 62-63,catalog, 2005

Wagonfeld, Judy. Hindsight and foresight at play when Frozen Moments evolve. Seattle Post Intelligencer, May 21. 2004

Graves, Jen. "The Arts: fashion Is...eclectric, individual-and certainly, Fashion Is Art." Tacoma News Tribune, August 31, 2003

Visual Art Picks Frozen Moments. Seattle Weekly, June 9. 2004

Fahey, Anna. Fashion Is Art, Thread for Art, Page 26, catalog. 20

Parvez, D. Fashion statements, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, August 29. 2003

Syme, Chad. Get Me Off This Crazy Thing, Bumbershoot Seattle, catalog, 2003

Catalani, Stefano. The Last Judgment Project, Seattle, Pages 32-33, catalog, 2003

Farr, Sheila. Exhibits show a fashion sense you’ll want to devour>, Seattle Times. 2003

Dorkbot. The Beat, NPR , November 2003

Curtis, Molly Norris. Bumbershoot Visual Arts Preview, Art Access, July/August. 2003

Fahey, Anna. The impulse for First War of the New Millennium, Art Papers, September. 2002

Farr, Sheila. In words that chill, in a haunted stare-the impact of Sept. 11, Seattle Times, May 10. 2002

Fahey, Anna. LAVA 2002, Thread for Art, Pages 82-85 Artist book reproduced images. 2002

Hall, Emily. Pay Attention, Please. Artists Before the Eruption, The Stranger, May 30, 2002

Christopher, Brian M. Fighting Gravity, Sci-Fi art exhibit pushes envelope, Intelligencer Journal, January 19. 2001

Lewis, Zachary. Art Museum’s Side Show Geared to Mechanical, Patriot News, January 21. 20011

Kelly, Sara. Perfect collaboration. Tacoma Reporter. March 22, 20011

American Craft, April/May. 2001

Hall, Emily. Tinkerer’s Toy-Cathy McClure’s Nagging Animation Obsession, The Stranger, August 10, 2000

Row, D.K. The rough edges of high art. The Oregonian, September, 2000

Kangas, Matthew. Last call at the mall, Installations outshine paintings in museum’s last show, Seattle Times, August 11. 2000

Hackett, Regina. Art in Progress: BAM’s Pacific Northwest Annual, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, July 11. 2000

Fredrickson, Eric. Look at Me! Young and New in Bellevue, The Stranger, August 12. 2000

Maclay, Catherine. The Illusions of Zoetrope, Silicon Valley News, June 13.1999

Bonetti, David. Art as team effort, Solo works grab attention at Yerba Center, San Francisco Examiner, July 6.1999

Kumi Yamashita, Cathy McClure, Bay Guardian, June 8, 1999

Im, Soyon. The Hit List. The Seattle Weekly, March 19, 1998

Spencer, Kelly. Bellevue Arts Commission Indoor Exhibition Catalog, Page 10, July 17, 1998

Halper, Vicki. Betty Bowen Award Twentieth Anniversary Edition, Page 26, catalog, 1998

McClure wins Bowen award, Artweek, January. 1998

Artweek. Art News, January. 1998

Updike, Robin. McClure’s magic circus, Intricate Installation by Young Artist Well Worth a Look, Seattle Times, March 12, 1998

Fredrickson, Eric. Zoetroparific! March 13, The Stranger. 1998

Johnson, Lara. Cathy McClure’s Carnival of Life, The University Daily, February 23, 1998

Hackett, Regina. Craft Values Dominate in Pioneer Square shows, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, March 13. 1998

Updike, Robin. A shadow reality in a trick of the light. Artist Cathy McClure’s creations spin chaotic illusions, Seattle Times, Nov 30,1997

Nakane, Kazuko. Where Do They Go After School? Artweek, August. 1997

 

Collections

2007, Asher Edelman, permanent collection, New York, NY

1999, The Pace Collection, permanent collection, Dallas, TX

1994, White House, Blue Room, permanent collection, Washington, DC

 

Honors

2009, Merit Award, Poncho, 2009 Invitational, Seattle, WA

2000, Best in Show, Pacific Northwest Annual, Bellevue Art Museum, WA

2000, People’s Choice Award, Pacific Northwest Annual, Bellevue Art Museum, WA

1999, Quai de La Gare, residency recipient, Paris, France

1997, Betty Bowen Memorial Award, grand prize, Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, WA

1996, Marsh Scholarship, School of Art, University of Washington, Seattle, WA

1995, Gonzales Scholarship, School of Art, University of Washington, Seattle, WA

1995, Gonzales Scholarship, School of Art, University of Washington, Seattle, WA

1995, Teaching Assistantship, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, TN

1995, HYPrice Merit Scholarship, TexasTech University, Lubbock, TX

1995, Arts Alliance Scholarship, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX

1994, HYPrice Merit Scholarship, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX

1994, Art Memorial Scholarship, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX

1994, Friends of Arrowmont Scholarship, Arrowmont School of Art, TN