With a professional background in the film and theatre industry and studies in Biology/Studio Art, Catherine began as a painter. Twenty years working as a scenic artist for major metropolitan theatre and film companies took her across the United States, with homes in Minneapolis, Boston, Honolulu, and now New York. After moving from Hawaii to New York, Catherine stepped out of the commercial world and let her own work unfold. Painting gave way to sculpting and her exploration of this three-dimensional world ensued.
Latson’s work embodies curiosity, patience and close observation. Her most renown works The Specimen Series is inspired by sea anemones and the motion of a water-bound world, exploring forms that blur the lines between animal and plant, realism and fantasy, sculpture and specimen. Radial symmetry and tentacle structures are common denominators in the mysterious variety of forms in Latson’s newest work. Each wall sculpture describes a mysterious, hybridized and imagined organism in arrested motion.
While the materials Latson uses are simple (cotton and wire), construction is complex, entailing thousands of pieces and countless hours of whipping and knotting. Latson hand-dyes embroidery floss in variations of a single dominant color and wraps the thread tightly and skillfully around her armature. Each piece aims to reimagine the mystery and complexity of a living organism.
Latson’s work hopes to instill wonder at the significance of the smallest creatures among us and to leave the viewer with a renewed sense of mindfulness towards the delicate balancing act in which we all play a part. By respecting and preserving the biodiversity around us, we respect and preserve ourselves.
Catherine presently maintains a studio in Yonkers, NY. Interviews and reviews of her work have been seen in the New York Times and American Craft Magazine. Past exhibitions include The Hudson River Museum, Macy’s Flower show in NYC and Philadelphia, The Architectural Digest Show in NYC, and Kenise Barnes Fine Art, in both Larchmont, NY and Kent, CT. Catherine’s work is presently represented by Kenise Barnes Fine Art.