Biography
Katherine Wildman moved from the leafy suburbs of Surrey to the sticky
jungles of Singapore in 2006 where studied photography at the Objectifs
School under the tutelage of C J Wadwa, Tom Ang and Kheng-Li Wee. Her
projects there included the 'Bold and the Beautiful', based upon the
skate scene in Singapore and a month long project inside an International
School where she was regularly beaten up with stuffed snakes, dressed
up in princess gowns and sat upon by small children, usually just as
she pressed the shutter. A keen scout of all things battered, torn and
crumpled Katherine returned to the UK in 2008 and is now based in Newcastle
upon Tyne.
Statement
"It's nearly twenty years since I last lived in Newcastle. In
that time I have lived in London and Singapore, returning to the North
East last year armed with a large pile of thermal vests. As I begin
to find my feet again in my old home I am rediscovering treasures long
since forgotten:
The joys of fish and chips on the beach at Longsands in Tynemouth where
the old school surfers have been joined by this year's hot trendsetters,
the stand up paddleboarders. The spectacular views up and down the North
East coast from the gannet covered cliffs at the Souter Lighthouse in
South Shields which don't seem to have changed much - although I can
bet that the coastline is set slightly back now from where it was when
I left it in 1994.
Down on The Quayside in the City Centre of Newcastle things look very
different. Gone is the old 'Boat' nightclub with its moorings on the
riverbanks in Gateshead and, in its place, sits the beautiful 'bubble-blown'
glass dome of The Sage Concert Hall. In stark contrast, a little further
down the river, the sleek stark lines of the Baltic Centre for Contemporary
Art stands proud with its enormous glass lift shafts and deep red brick
walls. A strong and handsome reminder of the industrial past of this
City, the Baltic was converted into an arts centre from the derelict
remains of a flour mill.
Spanning the river between the North and South banks the elliptical
Millennium Bridge is strung like a giant white harp. The bridge is illuminated
at night and casts a shimmering rainbow hula-hoop of light onto the
river beneath it. To allow boats to pass beneath the bridge the entire
structure lifts like an eyelid, giving those who are visiting for the
first time - or those who are returning after a long absence - a cheeky
'wink' of welcome. It's good to be back. "