Kathy Strauss

Born 1956 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Working in both science and art as I do (and have done for 30 years) I have a continuous urge to peer beneath the surface of things. Quilts I've made in previous years imposed grid-like patterns on natural images, almost classifying or quantitating. My work of recent years, however, has been constructing batik sculptures of silk gauze layers, and creating layered monoprints that include solved calculus problems that relate to the printed image(s). The work was best described by Jed Dodds, Visual Arts Director of the Creative Alliance (Baltimore MD) for the Subsurface exhibit, October 2002: The urge to peer below the surface of things is at the root of all intellectual inquiry. We look under the hood, dig deep, peer within. All are attempts to understand the nature of things. Artists understand this, as do scientists. When one lifts the veils, one must be prepared to see what's beneath. Kathy Strauss constructs diaphanous batik sculptures which begin with the idea of scientific inquiry, but raise the emotional ante. Searching for clues, the viewer plays the role of archeologist, digging below the surface to confront not just the abstract story of an ancient culture or complex organ...

EDUCATION
Westminster College, New Wilmington, PA, BA in Art, Concentration in Biology,1978
University of Maryland University College Minor in Mathematics 2010 - 2012
Sea Education Association, Woods Hole, MA, Scientific Art, 1978
Corcoran School of Art, Washington, DC, 1980
Science Applications International Corp., Wildlife International, Ltd., and University of Maryland, 1978-Present as a Chemist,

Time/Space/Matter (SoloShow); Minas Gallery, Baltimore MD (2012)
FoodScape (Invitational); Baltimore MD (2003, 2004, 2012)
Big Show (Group); Creative Alliance; Baltimore MD (1995 – 2015)
BromoSeltzer Tower Visiting Artist (Invitational); Baltimore MD (2011)
Untitled Show (Invitational); Institute for Genome Sciences; Baltimore MD (2009)
National Print and Drawing Show, (Juried); Baltimore MD (2008) Winner of Purchase Prize
Roots (Invitational); SoWeBo Arts, Baltimore MD (2007)
PieceWork (Invitational); Minas Gallery, Baltimore MD (2006)
ArtScape (Juried); Theatre Project; Baltimore MD (2006)
Nat’l Juried Bead and Fiber Exhibit (Juried); Delaplaine Visual Arts Ctr, Frederick MD (2005)
Global International Competition (Juried); Gallery International, Baltimore MD (2004)
Material World (Juried); Target Gallery; Alexandria VA (2004)
ArtScape (Juried); Maryland Art Place; Baltimore MD (2003, 2004)
EvolutionaryThreads (Three Person Show) Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts; Annapolis MD (2002)
SubSurface (Three Person Show); Creative Alliance; Baltimore MD (2002)
Two Views of the Forest (Two Person Show); Space Telescope Science Institute; Baltimore MD (2000)
Fiber/Art/Science (Two Person Show); Space ...