Katie Lyle

Katie Lyle works with painting, drawing, and performance. When working with canvas, she pays particular attention to the surface of this material. She often leaves parts of the canvas untreated, using glue both as a binding agent and a framing element. This results in a glossy halo that envelops her artwork. Lyle’s intense focus on materiality permits her to portray the human form, not just through traditional composition, but also through the nuanced interplay of constructed shadows. Such an approach seamlessly ties the artwork to the physical labor behind it—the tactile sensations of holding a paintbrush, of assembling the canvas, and of sculpting the collaged elements. In a past installation, Lyle included an art trolley in her exhibit space, gesturing towards art-handling practices and subtly nudging viewers to recognize and acknowledge the behind-the-scenes efforts within art-making processes. By accentuating often overlooked aspects of art production and juxtaposing them with diverse representations of the human body, Lyle astutely underscores the significance of the artist’s physical presence within the commercial art sector.