LORTON, VA.- Each piece in Kate Brogdon’s latest show is presented in multiple layers. This is partly because each is a renewed version of an older piece or other recycled materials. It is also because each is presented in multiple ways creating different levels of detail, intended to be seen from various distances. Arches Gallery presents her solo feature from 11 July until 2 August at the Workhouse Art Center.



The work in “Recycled Renewed Repurposed” all reuse older art or packaging from everyday items such as tea, candy or champagne, carrying an understood idea of value in reuse and beauty of the discarded: environmental themes are always present in her work. Every piece is painted or drawn over varying surfaces including her own photographs. The repeated reworking creates a depth and presence with the reflective surfaces adding to the visual impact.



Reinterpreting her own images recasts the original context of the initial creation and explores the changeable nature of our own memories, uncovering new stories in the recombinations. It also makes it possible for the viewer to see the history of the piece in all the work still being visible. This is in service of the idea to explore lines of thought while also displaying her own artistic evolution. Each piece follows its own logic to a sometimes surreal conclusion, with the viewer following the various versions of reality presented.



The installation “Lines of thought,” takes over the ceiling and the lighting, creating its own lush atmosphere. It is composed of repurposed photo drops along with faux chandelier parts for a convincing idea of an oversized chandelier. The main effect is one of a light fixture having overgrown its assigned environment into it’s own small climate. While it may be seen as distracting from traditional and formal gallery surroundings, with its unique environs it also is another layer upon the whole display.



“My environmental concern is always embedded in my work. Here, the recycling is to illustrate my evolving modes of thought. Reusing various materials is the way I can show how something new grows from something older. The various layers are each a different idea and I like to see how many alternate realities I can convincingly present to the viewer. I hope they can see at least most of them. Sometimes they find even more than intended: often people tell me they find things in my work I had not anticipated.”



10 July - 2 August 2026
Opening Sat 6-9pm 11 July

Arches Gallery
11-6pm Fri & Sat, 12-5pm Sun
Building 9 Workhouse Arts Center
9518 Workhouse Way Lorton VA 22079
(703) 584-2900



Kate Brogdon was born in Vienna, Austria, and grew up across the United States. She has lived in multiple countries, each place leaving its mark on her imagery and ideas. After earning her bachelor’s degree at the University of Virginia, she served 25 years as an active duty Marines and other diverse professional paths, while continuing her artistic studies. Her work has been exhibited across Southern California, Virginia and virtual platforms. Kate currently lives and works in Virginia.

Statement

My art is about the wide variety of ways people see the world. Growing up a child of immigrants and living in diverse cultures has deeply influenced my creative process. Each place I’ve lived has contributed to how I see and interpret the world, and interactions with people from different backgrounds have heightened my interest in how we form unique perspectives through lived experience. I share this through views of my own history and ideas.



My practice collects experiences, images, and fragments of ephemera to build layered visuals as ways of exploring how we construct our worldviews and how those views shape our relationships with each other and with the world itself. Through photography, collage, and painting, I seek to capture not only the present moment but also the sense of memory evolving over time. Working in layers and across media captures the nuances of perception developed by fragments, overlaps, and unexpected juxtapositions. These visual combinations create shades of meaning mirroring the complexities of our world. I create different levels of detail, some seen up close, some only at a distance. In these layers, I illustrate the fluid and multifaceted ways we experience reality.

My art explores how people perceive the world. Being a child of immigrants and interacting with people from diverse cultures has heightened my interest in how we form unique perspectives through lived experience. Layered visuals from found images and fragments explore how we construct our worldviews and how that shapes our relationships. Through photography, collage and painting, I capture nuances of perception and shades of meaning mirroring the fluid, multifaceted ways we experience reality.



www.katebrogdon.com
https://www.instagram.com/kattakala
https://www.facebook.com/katttaka