Catherine Armbrust grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas but has enjoyed life in various parts of Missouri since 1989. An alumnus of the University of Missouri, she holds an MFA in Fibers and Sculpture and BA in Anthropology. Her mixed media work has long been concerned with heavy ornamentation, the body, and seduction and pleasure, but her newest work involves more somber engagement of these elements, touching additionally on grief and absence. The shapes and invented symbols appearing in this series, Touched Icons, are created by direct application of paint with the artist’s body. She arranges these imprints to suggest reliquaries, icons, and fantastic landscapes, both marking the momentary presence of form and drawing attention to its absence.
