An Interview With Kristine Moran
Kristine Moran is a mid-career visual artist best known for having a painting practice that employs an abstract approach to convey autobiographical experiences. With a career spanning two decades, Moran has continually evolved her artistic approach, working across series within larger thematic concerns, creating work that has ranged from figurative-based lyrical abstraction; to hard-edged geometric abstraction. Her recent work calls upon a vocabulary of gestures the artist has developed over time to explore ideas surrounding the public garden as a place that reflects historical utopian desires and aspirations.
Can you tell us a little bit about you?
I was born in Montreal in 1974. Throughout my childhood, my family frequently moved, a pattern that continued into my adult life and has significantly influenced the focus of my paintings over the past five years. In 2005, I moved to New York City to pursue an MFA at Hunter College, residing in Queens and Brooklyn for 12 years. Currently, I live and work in Owen Sound, a small town on the shore of Georgian Bay.
How has your artistic practice changed over time?
My practice is constantly evolving. I work across series within larger thematic concerns, creating bodies of work that range in style from figurative-based lyrical abstraction to hard-edged geometric abstraction, often with a narrative intent. A year-long cross-country trip from 2017 to 2018 profoundly changed my approach to painting. Working in a small space on the road led me to make drawings as preliminary work for paintings, which was new for me. The paintings themselves were developed by scumbling thin layers of paint instead of using the thick impasto brush strokes from the past. Currently, I aim to incorporate all the gestural vocabulary I've developed over the years to push my paintings further into abstraction.
How do you hope to convey autobiographical experiences through your work and is there a specific goal you are hoping to achieve?
My personal experiences have always been the foundation of my work. During the sleepless postpartum period as a new mother, I created a series of paintings reflecting that time in my life. One such painting, titled Slow Wave (2011), depicts an abstracted figure floating across a dark room, evoking a sense of being outside one's own body. In Mystic and the Cycad (2013), I explore themes of mysticism and mortality following my mother's death. Bath (2015) captures the chaotic family dynamics of raising toddlers. The Madcap Swimmers series, inspired by my interest in open water swimming in 2017, symbolizes life's challenges and perseverance. My interest in utopian landscapes deepened after my family and I sold our belongings and embarked on a journey in search of a new way of life. This experience profoundly influenced my art as we connected with communities striving for sustainable, utopian living. Since then, I have been creating paintings that revolve around the themes of utopia, driven by my desire for an ideal place and research on historical communes and intentional communities. My goal is to connect personal experiences with universal themes, inviting viewers to find their own reflections in my work.
Have you been exploring any new themes in your recent work?
I’ve been intrigued by the concept of public gardens as reflections of historical utopian desires and aspirations. In my recent series titled "Drawing while Walking," initiated during daily visits to Le Jardin Public in Bordeaux, France, I use movement through space to capture the essential forms of the public garden. This practice allows me to explore fleeting moments, blending micro and macro perspectives into abstract shapes. The process emphasizes the importance of presence. The drawings are later brought into the studio to be used as the foundation for oils on paper, and later still, scaled up into large paintings on canvas. Each iteration allows for greater experimentation with color, form and line within the framework of the original drawings.
What does 'Abstraction' mean to you?
Abstraction, to me, is a means of flattening pictorial space through color and form while keeping the subject matter rooted in figuration and representational elements. My work draws from the history of abstract painting, incorporating historical references to slow down the reading of my work and ideally open up new possibilities of perception and meaning.
Your earliest memory of art?
When I was a young child, my mother had a studio in our basement where she painted with oils and pastels. She exhibited her work at the local community center, housed in an old converted church. Her first opening night remains vivid in my memory—the smell of the old wood floors, the warm lighting, people milling about, and, most of all, her landscape and floral paintings. She often took me to Canadian art museums; the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal, the National Gallery of Canada, and the AGO were frequently visited. Artists like Jean-Paul Riopelle and Paul-Emile Borduas come to mind.
Who or what is your biggest artistic inspiration?
I'm drawn to artists whose practices aren't defined by one style. Joe Bradley and Laura Owens inspire me with their shifts in subject matter and style. Thomas Nozkowski's approach, where anything could be a painting, also resonates with me. I admire how Nozkowski’s abstract work draws from a wide range of sources, from everyday objects to fleeting memories. His ability to find inspiration in the mundane and translate it into complex, textured compositions speaks to the limitless possibilities of painting. I’ve certainly been inspired by how he challenges the boundaries of abstraction and representation.
Are there any particular artists that you are currently enjoying?
This changes all the time. Last year, I spent time at the Musée d'Orsay and was struck by Renoir's brushwork, which influenced my own work. I also saw the Monet-Mitchell exhibition at the Louis Vuitton Foundation, opening up new ways of thinking about landscape painting. Other artists like Matisse, Bonnard, Gauguin and Hockney have been top of mind as well lately.
What is your favourite book or film and why?
If anyone is interested in an entertaining read about a group of artists who pushed the utopian experiment to its limits, I’d recommend Dreaming the Biosphere: The Theater of All Possibilities. Author Rebecca Reider takes us through the fascinating history of how a group of people came together, from their beginnings as a theatre collective in San Francisco in the 60s to their many large-scale art performances and installation projects in the 80s. Eventually, they secured funding to build a biodome, where eight "biospherians" locked themselves in for two years, attempting to survive on food and animals they grew and raised themselves.
Are you working on any projects you are particularly excited about?
I have work in a group exhibition at Sargent’s Daughters West in Los Angeles opening on July 27, which I’m excited to be a part of. Additionally, I’m looking forward to being the artist in residence at the Martha MOCA Artist Residency in NJ this coming October. In the studio, I'm preparing for a solo exhibition at the Daniel Faria Gallery next spring. I’m also exploring social engagement in public spaces. I plan to take local communities on walks where we can draw while in motion. This practice enhances observation, prioritizes key forms, and cultivates an appreciation for fleeting moments. Ultimately, I'd like to balance my solo studio time with a community-centered experience that engages with public spaces. I hope this will expose both myself and participants to new experiences, helping us stay present, and perhaps this presence will enable us to achieve some form of contentment and collective well-being.