Other People's Oceans

Inspired by the human movement, maps, and the unique ways we travel through life, Kate Oberreich's exhibit, Other People Oceans, depicts how people find and define home. In this body of work, Oberreich explores journeys through the use of movement with delicate embroidery and beading on paintings and cyanotype printing. An interesting highlight is her use of recycled tarp to allow the materials to tell their own story.

Moved by her time in Samos, Greece after witnessing the experiences of refugees, home was a concept that lingered in her mind. Although home can be cultivated in strange places the concept is nuanced. This collection was born out of Oberreich’s own reckoning with trying to define what home meant for people as well as what it meant for herself. Intrigued by water and movement, Kate has spent some time researching her own family origin. Every year she is eager to work with new materials that speak to the concept she explores. This year she boldly stepped into working with recycled tarp - a material in use in many households, that was used as shelter in the refugee camp on Samos, and that mimics sparkling water - creating its own meaning to the subject matter of home. For this collection, she enjoyed the meditative and tactile aspects of embroidery and beading. 

Jetsam. Acrylic, cyanotype, sequins, glass beads, recycled tarp.

This body of work is a beautiful blend of beading, painting, and cyanotype. Jetsam, the image above is a mixed media piece with acrylic, cyanotype, sequins, glass beads, and recycled tarp. This piece incorporates all the material old and new that Oberreich experimented with. “Hince” is the star of this new body of work. 

Jetsam means unwanted material that has been thrown overboard from a ship. This piece compels viewers to take a closer look as if to search for treasure in what was once discarded. Other People’s Oceans even from the title feels full of longing as if the name itself is searching for a home. It is an intriguing collection with surprising and delicate moments that draws the viewer in. Deep ocean blues of Cyanotype interrupted by delicately embroidered small patterns that resemble clusters of houses create an engaging balance and nuance to the familiar. 

Kate Oberreich is an artist at the Harrison Center with a passion for experimenting. She holds a BFA in painting from Ball State but her work lies somewhere between collage, painting, and textiles. Her love for texture and experimentation shows in this body of work. We hope you stop by and immerse yourselves in this calming and delicate collection. Her show will be on display for the month of March. You can also find it through our online gallery.