Paintless Paintings
Kate Mountford’s “paintings” of mountains are more than a touch surreal and fantastical. But where’s the paint?
Kate Mountford, “Surrounded,” 2017
photograph and digital painting, 18” x 24”
Kate Mountford’s website lists her photographs in two categories, one called “Travel” and the other “Landscapes.” Click on that latter category, showing misty mountain scenes, and suddenly the website lists the works as “Paintings.” So, what are these magical scenes, photographs or paintings?
You can judge for yourself by visiting the Edge Gallery in Canmore, west of Calgary, where examples of Mountford’s work are part of the group exhibition Mountain Photography, on view until Sept. 15. Don’t be surprised if you see no paint.
“I paint digitally, which means I use Photoshop to add digital brushstrokes rather than using physical paint,” says Mountford, who recently moved halfway around the world from Calgary to London. “Photography allows me to capture the world how I see it, and painting shows how I feel it.”
Previously, Mountford often found herself frustrated with her landscape photography – she wanted more from her images.
“I loved to paint and took inspiration from artists such as J.M.W. Turner and Ludvig Munthe. Combining these two mediums digitally allows me more control over the photograph while keeping the expressiveness of painting.”
Kate Mountford, “Up To The Trees,” 2017
photograph and digital painting, 16.5” x 10”
Mountford calls this an exciting time for art because of the increasing sophistication of digital software.
“There is still the artist’s hand in every aspect of the work that I do, from the composition of the photograph to the colour palette and motion within the painting. Although I use software and a digital single-lens reflex camera to achieve this, the process still feels very organic and visceral. I am just not covered in paint by the end of it.”
Mountford grew up on a northern Alberta farm with wide-open spaces. But when she visited the mountains she became fascinated by how they are simultaneously “freeing and claustrophobic.”
Kate Mountford, “Winter Trees,” 2017
photograph and digital painting, 23” x 14.5”
“When I am out in the mountains and in nature the view and the scenery can never oversaturate me,” she says.
“I hope that my viewers get lost in my images the same way I get lost in nature. I want you to be able to create stories for yourself by delving into these works and taking a moment to explore.”
The exhibition at the Edge Gallery also includes photographs by Jon Goodman, Craig Richards and Derek Bisbing. ■
Mountain Photography is on view at the Edge Gallery in Canmore, Alta., from July 31 to Sept. 15, 2018.
The Edge Gallery - Canmore
612 Spring Creek Drive, Canmore, Alberta T1W 0C7
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Tues to Sat 10 am - 5:30 pm or by appointment.
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