More! More! More!
What did you buy today? When artist and illustrator Kate Bingaman-Burt asked herself that question, the result was 2,922 drawings, made over the course of eight years. Books, gallery shows, and major media coverage ensued, all infused with her playful and startling take on brands and consumer objects. This fall, Kate’s new works along with eight years of “Obsessive Consumption” will engulf the walls, windows and sidewalks of Liquid Agency’s gallery space in Portland. Please join us for the Opening Reception on First Thursday, September 4, from 6:00–9:00 pm.
Kate’s work centers on the objects in our lives.
The things we buy, the things we discard, and the community interaction that cycles of consumption can inspire. It encourages people—starting with the artist herself—to be more mindful of what they buy. Every day for eight years, she made a drawing of something she purchased: a pumpkin spice latte, two pears, or “incredible cactus: $18. Her very first Daily Purchase Drawing, which documented the act of filling up her gas tank and featured the BP logo, was featured on the popular NPR show Marketplace.
On the other hand, her work has moved out of its purely artistic origins and expanded into commercial illustration. IDEO, Chipotle, The Gap, and Car2Go are among Kate’s clients; her work also graces the pages of publications ranging from to the New York Times to Print Magazine. The result is a rich body of work that investigates how brands and products affect our contemporary lives. “I make drawings about consumption on the stage of advertising. I illuminate the intricacies of everyday consumption by making objects to be consumed,” she explains. “As an illustrator, I work directly with carefully selected clients in the world of consumption, indirectly facilitating more, more, more. As an artist, I respond to this latent consumerism. My work is a conversation, an unending feedback loop.”
A natural fit.
Liquid Space is a natural fit for Kate’s show, which includes a Stolen Object Confessional at the opening event—you confess something you’ve stolen, she draws it—and an artist-curated Free Box on the sidewalk outside the gallery. Encouraging dialogue through exhibitions and talks, Liquid Space is an experimental gallery series taking place at the agency’s headquarters in San Jose and at its Pearl District office in Portland. Chief Creative Officer Alfredo Muccino founded Liquid Space to push boundaries, spark conversation, and showcase innovation. The series shares the work of talented artists and multidisciplinary designers with Liquid’s employees, clients, and local communities, and collaborates with organizations such as the San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art. Past shows have included work by Sabine Reckewell, Joshua Berger, Plazm, Nike Labs, Karim Rashin, Neils Romer, Ziba, and a collective of San Jose street artists.
Event details.
More, More, More: The Art of Kate Bingaman-Burt
Opening reception First Thursday, September 4, 6-9 pm
910 NW Hoyt Street, Portland, Oregon
Beverages provided by Fort George Brewery
On display September 1–December 31, 2014, by appointment.
Helpful Links
View Kate’s website
