Mural IV: Hi, How Are You by Kate McCabe

The MBCAC continues our mission to inspire and enliven the community through the arts by presenting a rotating line up of large temporary murals on the exterior wall of the Joshua Tree Art Gallery. For our fourth round, we feature this new work created by local artist and filmmaker Kate McCabe.

Art has the power to connect, uplift and inspire everyone. The goal of this mural series is to catch the eye of a passersby and shift their current outlook to one of inspiration and intrigue as they traverse downtown Joshua Tree. We are accepting submissions for new murals for our 2022 season. Please visit our call for work for more information. We are happy to continue and adapt this great program started by JTAG founder Frederick Fulmer.

Artist Statement:

In this work for MBCAC, I share my favorite message. I believe asking someone “Hi, how are you” is one of the sweetest and most thoughtful questions to ask. My goal here is to ask our community at large this very endearing question, especially as we all heal and repair from this troubling year. My animation roots come out in my paintings which have been described as “Pop Art with a Narrative.” As colorful and surrealist characters: human, animal, vegetable (there was a famous Beet I painted) and imaginary, collide and discuss, making witty observations or existential metaphors. My recent works revolve around signals we send to each other and how they are interpreted. While exploring facets of communication, I expand on our humorous shared experience originating from those moments where we may feel misunderstood. As a lifelong opponent of the high five, I love playing with the comedic interaction of an errant or mistimed high five especially towards a saguaro cactus. The western characters are inspired by old Gene Autry coloring books to emphasize their iconic simplicity and desert cinema roots. I’ve also been experimenting using cyan and magenta separation to create anaglyphs making the characters and textures float off the canvas, like vintage 3-D designs. I’ll be continuing to work this way throughout the year.

About the artist:

Interdisciplinary artist and filmmaker Kate McCabe founded the art collective Kidnap Yourself near Joshua Tree in 2005 soon after graduating CalArts with an MFA in Experimental Animation. Most re-known for Sabbia, her feature film for low desert legend, Brant Bjork, her films have screened internationally and most recently at the Palm Springs Art Museum as well as streaming as part of a Canyon Cinema collection through Kinoscope NYCs. McCabe has taught film at CalArts and UC San Diego and has worked with some of Los Angeles’ most prolific independent filmmakers. Since 2008, Kate has published a book series about her life in the desert, “Mojave Weather Diaries” now included in the Luna Arcana. Her current work includes paintings, photography, and diaries, exploring themes of our communication mishaps and our connection to the landscape.

Artist website: kidnapyourself.com | IG: @kidnapkate

This mural is for sale. Please contact gallery-director@mbcac.org if interested. Interested in being a future mural artist? Check out our call for work!