Cathy Dorman’s collection of paintings explores light and experience in domestic spaces in the imagined setting of Lina Bo Bardi’s home, Casa de Vidro (Glass House). Space is broke down into a series of naturally illuminated planes, flattening perspective into two dimensions. Through structural contradiction, illusion and manipulation of scale, viewers are challenged to transform their awareness of their surroundings. The compositions obscure the autonomy of a given room whilst incorporating objects that ground the work in reality.

Conceived through model making, photography and sculpture the paintings in her Domestic Planes exhibition are site specific to Lina Bo Bardi’s architectural icon complete in 1951 Casa de Vidro (Glass House) which was Bo Bardi’s home in Sao Paulo for 40 years. Her work also references Farnsworth House completed about the same time by Mies Van Der Rohe.

Cathy Dorman’s exhibition Domestic Planes is her first solo exhibition. Dorman graduated from National College of Art and Design in June 2020 with a B.A.Fine Art Hons (first class) having spent the earlier part of her working life as a professional architect. She has participated in the RHA’s Annual Exhibitions in 2019 and 2021 and the RUA’s Annual Exhibition in 2020. Her work has also been included in group shows such as Dunamaise Open Submission Exhibition (2018) and most recently at Hang Tough Gallery’s Rising 2021. She is currently enjoying a residency at RHA/IPUT Wilton park Studios awarded to her by the RHA in 2020.

www.cathydorman.com