Definitive Painting

Artist Statement: My images begin with a photographic process yet I always seek a deeper artistic expression than a solitary frame shot through my camera lens. I began using experimental photography and darkroom techniques in college, inspired by avant-garde, Dadaist, and Surrealist artists that I greatly admire such as Max Ernst, Man Ray, László Moholy-Nagy, and Joan Miró. Black and white film negatives and silver gelatin prints were my first love, but I discovered that using techniques such as hand-painting on silver gelatin prints, photomontage and double exposure added layers of dimensions which helped express my vision of otherworldly imagery. I currently use all of these techniques while sometimes adding digital processes to create vibrant and enchanting hybrid imagery. My subject matter ranges from nature and natural forms, to portraiture and abstractions. Bio: Katina Desmond uses traditional, experimental and hybrid techniques that infuse her images with enchantment and double entendre. Her passion for black and white photography, abstract art and painting is evident in her signature technique of hand-painted silver gelatin photographs. Katina currently lives and works in Los Angeles, California. She was raised in Topanga Canyon, California, a rural, isolated atmosphere that inspired her imagination. Both her parents were professional artists and her grandfather was an avid photographer of early 1900s’ Alaskan wilderness. Katina Desmond’s work is exhibited in art galleries, art fairs, and included in numerous public and private art collections and publications.