Cathy Read re-imagines iconic architecture using explosive, colourful drops and trails of paint, held together with a structure of white lines. As an artist and Occupational Therapist specialising in Sensory Integration Therapy, she began developing the multisensory aspect of her art in 2026. She exhibits with the Society of Women Artists in London and was awarded the Barbara Tate Memorial Award in 2015. Her work is in the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford and corporate collections. She appeared on Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year in 2016 and 2017. Originally from Manchester she now lives in a chapel near Buckingham which she converted with her husband. She lives close enough to London to get her Urban Architecture fix when needed and spends time exploring the canals and rivers of the UK on a 60ft Canal Boat.
About
Our only experience of the world is through our senses. We are taught that we have 5 senses but in reality we have many more. Some of these sensations are very difficult to isolate from other. For example proprioception is a sense of position in space and the world acting on the body. It allows us to know where are limbs and fingers are when performing complex actions. It also relies on our sense of movement and touch. For simplicity, I'll talk about the 5 senses but in reality, I may include more.
Vision: My paintings are snapshots, I look for contrasts where they occur: such as new buildings, with clean shapes and lines, alongside old decaying ones, or geometric architecture softened by nature over time.
Buildings reflect the dreams of the people who create them. By using an abstract technique I capture that dreamlike quality. The masking fluid creates a linear structure which holds together the fluid and energetic paint and ink shapes. The ink, especially, allows mini explosions of colour which evolve during the drying process.
With these paintings I am looking for perspectives that convey the scale of the buildings. That sense of Awe at their sheer size. By experimenting with angles, foreshortening and shapes, I seek the essence of the vision behind their creation and that childhood sense of looming where the building feels like it will topple on you.
Tactile: The paintings are enhanced by the tactile experience of found and created items that reflect the materials found within the paintings. Please explore the items with your hands and skin.
Smell: Smell is a primary sense and has a deep connection to our lived experience. A single smell can transport us back in time in an instant, such is the power of this.
Hearing: The first sense to be awoken in the morning and the last to sleep at night. Ambient sounds characterise a place. From the ticking of a clock, the sounds of birds and running water, city noises, each location has a distinct set of sounds. Which of the sounds you hear go with which paintings.
Taste: Exploration of the world begins with mouthing, both touch and taste are involved. The mouth and hands work together to help the infant make sense of everything. As we grow up we rely more on other senses but we still use our mouths to help us focus, eg. actions like chewing pen tops and biting our lip. or as a third hand. Exploring new cultures we try the various foods and drinks on offer. As we walk through streets we might taste the dust in the air or the fumes of a poorly maintained engine. Shared eating in public spaces, a glass of wine/beer or eating a snack or chewing gum.