(continued from page 13) For instance, Knick’s Here/There/Everywhere installation led her to paint in a new way after she realized that there was a gap, an unintended distance between the viewer and the objects in the installation. She didn’t like the feeling that distance created. She then noticed that distance in her paintings too and wanted to bring her audience in closer without overwhelming them. She learned from creating the installation to embrace the negative space in her paintings instead of entirely occupying it with color. The value of the negative space as a location for lines and colors to exist, like a ladder or a staircase, led Knick to a broader sense of spatial depth. She also shifted to larger canvases, five to six feet, to help release the visual vocabulary she felt her smaller pieces were compressing, and to give herself more room to play with concepts. “People will be able to sort of walk into these new paintings like they would an installation because the paintings are as big as they are. There is more negative space but also fine lines and bigger strokes. You can start by looking from afar and get pulled into the little details.” Much of what keeps Knick interested in the way she is deconstructing and reconstructing space is the endless possibilities. Growing up in a house that was changing all the time has influenced her to feel free to play with the spatial ladders in her artwork, and to build unexpected staircases for herself and her audience. To see more of Katelynn Noel Knick’s artwork visit her website at katelynnknick.com. n Cedar Marie is an independent artist and writer.
(opposite page) Friends Forever Feels, Katelynn Noel Knick, acrylic and pigment marker on canvas, 54” x 42”, 2017 (top right) Cosmic Clouds, Form I (detail), Katelynn Noel Knick, dyed paper, muslin, Mylar, and plastic sewn to wire mesh, 22” x 18” x 12”, 2016 (bottom right) Moody Blues, Katelynn Noel Knick, acrylic and pigment marker on canvas, 36” x 48”, 2017
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