Kate Holcomb Hale

placeholders

brace (bannister)

paper clay, pastel

7” x 12” x 1.5”

2022


push (front door)  

paper clay, pastel  

11 x 12 x 1.5 in

2022


cushion (headboard)

paper clay, pastel

10 x 7.5 x 1.25 in

2023


soothe (sofa)

paper clay, pastel

12 x 7 x 2.5 in.

2023


pinch ( corner )

paper clay, pastel

11 x 11 x 1.5 in

2022


support (bedside table)

paper clay, pastel

7” x 9” x 2”

2022


protect (radiator cover)

paper clay, pastel

11” x 10.5” x 1”

2022


enclose (kitchen cabinet)

paper clay, pastel

6.5” x 7.5” x .75”

2022




steady (staircase)

paper clay, pastel

7.5” x 13.5” x 1”

2022



comfort (hearth)

paper clay, pastel

13.5” x 13.5”

2022





stumble (staircase)  

paper clay, pastel  

7 x 10 x 2.25 in

2022


hold (cabinet)

paper clay, pastel

6.5” x 12” x 1”

2022




surround (fireplace mantle/brick)

paper clay, pastel

8.5” x 8” x 1.5”

2022


store (china cabinet)

paper clay, pastel

7” x 5” x 1”

2022




drain (bathtub)

paper clay, pastel

7” x 4.5” x .5”

2022


keep (keyhole)

paper clay, pastel

3.5” x 2.5”

2022





light (wall)

paper clay, pastel

5.5 x 10 x .75 in

2022


bolster (sofa)

paper clay, pastel

7 x 5.5 x 1.25 in

2023


open (lock)

paper clay, pastel

5.5” x 4.5” x .5”

2021



connect (hinge)

paper clay, pastel

7” x 4.5” x .75”

2021


carry (plant stand)

paper clay, pastel

10.75" x 5" x 1"

2022


secure (keyhole)

paper clay, pastel

2.5” x 2” x .25”

2022


These paper clay works are impressions taken of objects and architecture within my home. They are an attempt to capture space and time. When I sold my childhood home in Buffalo, NY after my father passed away, COVID restrictions prevented me from sifting through and gathering belongings as I would have liked to. The few items I did collect felt incredibly meaningful as a result. There is something about the physicality of holding something your parents once held and used. In response I started making imprints of my home in an effort to recover what I had lost/left behind. Also inherent to this body of work is a consideration of the value we assign objects (monetary, sentimental, functional) and the labor that is required to look after and archive them. Here one discovers another layer of care and invisible labor that is performed in the absence of our loved ones.