Cathy Josefowitz

Born in New York in 1956, Cathy Josefowitz spent her childhood and adolescence in Geneva, Switzerland. The artist’s lifelong fascination with the bodily experience was sparked in part by her study of stage design at the Théâtre National de Strasbourg from 1972 – 1973. After attending the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris from 1973 – 1978, Josefowitz studied performing arts and new dance at the renowned Dartington College of Arts in Devon, England from 1979 to 1983 and later choreography at the SNND School for New Dance Development, Amsterdam from 1987 – 1988. During her time in England, Josefowitz became involved in political activism, taking part in demonstrations, marches and conferences supporting both the feminist movement and the gay and lesbian liberation movement. Mirroring the increase in her engagement in political activism and feminism, Josefowitz’s art intensified its representation of female sensation and feeling.

These paintings are complemented by figurative works from the early 1990s in which Josefowitz’s visual language enters a new phase, revealing a different way of working with the body through a shift in pattern, style and form. Using various combinations of oil, gouache, charcoal, pastel or chalk, the artist’s biomorphic subjects reached a new level of simplification, becoming indistinguishable from the chairs on which they rest. ‘Untitled’ (1993) exemplifies this movement towards a more non-representational style, achieved by a focus on shape of the figure and bold planes of color. Releasing her subjects from historic depictions of the female body, Josefowitz reveals a unique awareness of and sensitivity to the physical forms of the self. The backgrounds of the works have also entered a transformation, characterized by geometric patterns and curvilinear forms, resulting in the isolation of the figure in space.

The figurative realm soon gave way to increasing abstraction with Josefowitz’s Prayers series (1998 – 2001). Working on the floor, the series evolved by tracing the outline of a pile of clothes on a canvas, taking particular interest in the shawl. Each canvas started with this new sacred ritual, a kind of dance with the shawl, playing with its shapes on the floor, until she found the composition she liked and traced the outlines. Josefowitz approached color in reference to people and family members, likening the work to portraiture, or in reference to places and landscapes. For example, she made work inspired by Italy and her travels to Egypt, such as ‘Parme’ (c 2001) or ‘Patisserie Égyptienne’ (1999).

The remarkable yet little-known work of this multi-talented artist explored the complexities of the self, feminism, spirituality and sexuality for drawing, painting, music theater and dance. Over 40 years of research and creation speaking about her practice Josefowitz said ‘It’s my voice, my breathing, my world. Sometimes an ideal world and sometimes a very harsh world.’