"JUNGLE DREAM" Collage

MARC J CATO

BORN: DECEMBER 15, 1957 IN MANHATTAN, NEW YORK

BOTH MY PARENTS WERE INVOLVED IN THE ARTS.

MY MOTHER, MARGUERITE DAHLSTROM CATO, WAS A FASHION MODEL DURING LATE 1940'S THROUGH THE EARLY 1960'S AND FOR MANY YEARS WITH THE FORD MODELING AGENCY. MY MOTHER WORKED WITH FASHION PHOTOGRAPHERS INCLUDING SCAVULLO, AVEDON AND THE TWIN ABBE SISTERS ALONG WITH MANY OTHERS.

MY FATHER, ROBERT GARCIA CATO, AN ART DIRECTOR FOR FASHION MAGAZINES AND LATER VICE PRESIDENT OF CREATIVE ARTS & SERVICES FOR CBS RECORDS DURING THE MIDDLE 1950'S THROUGH THE LATE 1960'S, ALSO, WORKING WITH, UNITED ARTIST RECORDS, AND AS A FREELANCE GRAPHIC DESIGNER, PHOTOGRAPHER AND ARTIST.

IN MY YOUTH I GREW UP OUT HERE ON THE EAST-END OF LONG ISLAND DURING THE 1960'S, THIS AREA WAS STILL PRETTY MUCH FARM LAND SURROUNDED BY OCEAN WATER. WE CATO KIDS GREW UP AROUND THE ARTS, WHILE OUR PARENTS PROVIDED A WONDERFUL ENVIRONMENT FOR US TO EXPLORE. SINCE OUR FATHER WORKED IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY, MUSIC PLAYED A BIG PART OF OUR LIVES, JAZZ AND EARLY ROCK'N'ROLL WERE BELOVED. AS CHILDREN, WE ALSO ALL WORKED AS YOUNG FASHION MODELS.

IN MY EARLY YEARS I SOLD A FEW PAINTINGS AT THE PARRISH ART MUSEUM CHILDRENS ARTSHOW. AN EXPEIRENCE THAT I HAVE ALWAYS TREASURED. YEARS LATER, I WORKED AS A ROADIE FOR "THE PAUL WINTER CONCERT" AND "THE BAND". LATER ON, IN 1996, MY FIRST SHORT FILM,"WONDER" WON THE ee cummings AWARD AT THE 21ST CIN(E) POETRY FEST IN SAN FRANCISCO. SO, WITH THIS BACKGROUND, I HAVE FOUND A CONTINUING INTEREST WITH THE TV / MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY AND A FASCINATION OF THE ART OF COLLAGE. I LEAN TOWARD THE ART TECCHNIQUE OF COLLAGE, BECAUSE, ALONG WITH USING PAINTS AND MIXED MEDIA, I'VE ALSO DISCOVERED FOUND OBJECTS THAT SPARK MY IMAGINATION TO CREATE A PIECE OF ART WORK. FOR EXAMPLE, OLD POSTERS, STORE BAGS, RUSTED PIECES OF METAL, NEWS PAPER CLIPPINGS, PLASTIC MESH, BLACK ALUMINIUM FOIL AND GOLD LEAF. ALL THESE MATERIALS AND OTHERS WORK TOGETHER TO FORM THE DESIRED EFFECT THAT I'M SEARCHING FOR.THESE COLLAGE THEMES CAN RANGE FROM POLITICS, TROPICAL ISLAND PARADISE,1960'S ROCK'N'ROLL, DREAM IMAGERY, LEGENDS, MYTHOLOGY, MOVIE CHARACTERS AND OF HUMOROUS OBSERVATIONS OF THE WORLD THAT SURROUNDS ME.

I PERFER TO WORK IN THE ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM, BECAUSE, IT IS HERE WITHIN OUR MIND THAT EACH OF US ABSORB ALL THE OUTSIDE INFORMATION COMING AT US. TO MAKE SENSE OF IT ALL, I HAVE FOUND KEEPING A FREELY EXPRESSIVE STATE OF MIND HELPS ME TO CREATE MY ART.