Catherine Hamilton
Born 1969, Palo Alto, CA, lives and works in Providence, RI
Squirrel I, 2006, ink on grey paper, 30” x 44”, Lent by the Artist
Catherine Hamilton captures birds and squirrels in delicate pen drawings that quickly bring to mind Old Master European drawings. These specimens of native wildlife are given an air of antiquated grandeur, isolated in fields of creamy paper, and executed in subtle monochromatic tones. Of her uncorrectable technique, Hamilton wryly notes “I don’t have much danger in my life—my danger is that I work in pen.”
But Hamilton is much more than an expert draftswoman; she is an avid birdwatcher and a staunch environmentalist. By casting such a focused light on these small animals, she warns us of the powerful effect we have on their existence, as we destroy their natural habitats through pollution or force birds and squirrels to adapt to our concrete jungles. Presented in a large format, her squirrels are aggressive and muscular, caught clinging to invisible trees, but are also appealing and cute idealizations of what many people call “rats with fuzzy tails.” Birds and squirrels appear fragile and ghostly in Hamilton’s drawings. They practically fade into the paper, as if they wane between presence and absence emphasizing the delicate balance between nature and society.
