Meet Kate Bickmore | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kate Bickmore and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kate, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
I have this quote by the artist Georgia O’Keeffe up on my wall, and it’s an affirmation I try to live by.

“I feel that a real living form is the result of the individual’s effort to create the living thing out of the adventure of his spirit into the unknown—where it has experienced something—felt something—it has not understood—and from that experience comes the desire to make the unknown—known. By unknown—I mean the thing that means so much to the person that wants to put it down—clarify something he feels but does not clearly understand—sometimes he partially knows why—sometimes he doesn’t—sometimes it is all working in the dark—but a working that must be done—Making the unknown—known—in terms of one’s medium is all-absorbing—if you stop to think of the form—as form you are lost—The artist’s form must be inevitable—You mustn’t even think you won’t succeed—Whether you succeed or not is irrelevant—there is no such thing. Making your unknown known is the important thing—and keeping the unknown always beyond you—catching crystallizing your simpler clearer version of life—only to see it turn stale compared to what you vaguely feel ahead—that you must always keep working to grasp—the form must take care of its self if you can keep your vision clear.”

There are a few things about this quote that really resonate with me; the first is this description of the “living form” emerging from the adventure of the spirit into the unknown. When I’m painting, that is, when I’m really painting, I’m in this state of chasing the unknown, or a desire towards capturing something I might not fully understand. I think this reaching into an unfamiliar place is what makes a painting successful, because as soon as I stop to think logically about the painting or how to make it, I get stuck. This quote also applys more broadly to life — it’s always been important for me to keep reaching towards a place beyond where I am, to keep making discoveries.

The second thing I love about this quote is the idea there is no such thing as successs — that this idea of “success” we’ve created for ourselves is completely irrelevant, and that the most important thing is that we keep “making our unknown known”, or more simply, keep creating and doing the things that are important to us, no matter what acclaim we do or don’t receive.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
As a highly sensitive queer woman, I paint to better understand how my body relates to my environments. Recently, I’ve been creating large scale, hyperrealistic florascape paintings where flowers are given a powerful status — depicted not as victims or specimens of the objective gaze, but instead as living, breathing agents with limitless physicality, queer individuality, and cosmic connectivity. For me, painting is about being seduced into a space both realistic and fantastic, through physical immersion and sensory expansiveness, where I can follow unknown desires and make new discoveries. The flowers are my guides, as well healers in the relationship between myself, my body, and the world around me.

I got to where I am today through a mix of hard work and amazing opportunities that were offered by those who believe in my practice. I like to live by the attitude that I need to “meet the universe halfway” (originally coined by Karen Barad), and by that I mean opportunities will arise but only if I work hard enough to meet them.

While I have always loved art, I didn’t know I wanted to be an artist until completing my senior thesis in my undergraduate program. I had an experience while painting that could be described as a kind of Jungian spiritual awakening, and from then on I knew art was my calling, and I would do whatever I needed to do to keep painting.

Pursuing a full-time career in the arts isn’t easy, and up until last year I had to work part times jobs to be able to afford to live and keep up my practice. I’ve been very fortunate to have had additional support, such as through the Chadwell Award, which provided me a free studio for a year after graduating from the masters program at the Royal College of Art in London in 2019. When the pandemic hit in 2020, I received furlough from my waitressing job, which allowed me to spend much of the year painting in my studio. I was then serendipitously offered a show in the fall 2021 to exhibit the work I made, and since then I’ve been working full time as an artist.

I think the biggest difficulties I’ve had to overcome were my own personal insecurities. It’s important as an artist to believe in yourself and what you do, but to also know what it is you need to thrive and sustain yourself long term. It took me a while to realize that I needed a lot of time alone to process and take care of myself, and that I would never be someone who can work 24/7. I’m a very big supporter of keeping up physical and mental well being, whether that’s through running, therapy, meditation, or other wellness practices. It took me a long time to realize that productivity comes in many different forms, and that sometimes the most productive thing you can do is to take a break from work to stop and reflect on what it is you really want.

The most important aspect of my journey and painting practice is to change the narrative around women and flowers — which are traditionally seen as passive objects of beauty — and express their ability to continue to evolve, grow, adapt, and challenge the preconceived notions put upon them.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
As an artist, many of my favorite spots in London are art based; the Rothko room at the Tate Modern, the Dutch Still Life room at the National Gallery, the Marianne North Gallery at Kew Gardens, and then all the contemporary art galleries (too many to name!). For nature, I love all of London’s green spaces, including Richmond Park for the deer, Hackney Marshes and River Lea for a wild swim, Hyde Park for sunset picnics, and Regents Park for the secret gardens. As a natural wine fan, I’ve recently enjoyed Polentina in Bow, The Renegade Wine Bar in Bethnal Green, and Diogenes The Dog in Southwark. I would also say the best way to see London is by bike!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I wouldn’t be where I am today without the love and support of my parents. There are so many friends and mentors I’ve met along the way that have really impacted the person I’ve become and been integral to my practice and journey. I’m grateful to the tutors I had at Hamilton College and the Royal College of Art, the people and support from the residencies and grants I’ve received, the collectors who have bought and continue to buy my work, the gallerists and curators that have exhibited it, the therapists and meditation teachers that have helped ground me day to day, the friends that have continued to be there through the highs and lows, and the earth for providing me life, beauty, and the sustenance to create and give back to other living beings.

Website: katebickmore.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katebickmore/