Local surfer and artist Kate Barratini releases the beast one last time
by Miranda Steadman | Contributing Writer
The final installment of the Animal Shred series will be held at Hed Hi Studio in downtown Charleston on Friday, Aug. 29. Owned by Folly resident, Tim McManus, the studio is also home to Hed Hi Media, McManus’ video production company. Local surfer and artist Kate Barratini has assembled a dynamic collection of fellow painters, photographers, and illustrators to create their interpretation of what Animal Shred means to them in their respective mediums.
In all, Animal Shred — The Final Show will feature eight artists with varying mediums at this Animal Shred. “There’s going to be a feast of art!” says Barratini. DJ Mummbls will mix music to kick off Animal Shred, followed by The Kevin Hanley supergroup Animal Hedz. “Creative madman/genius, Kevin Hanley, is putting together a band to play some serious psychedelic boogie,” Barratini says. “I’ve got no clue what’s up his octopus sleeves and I have no doubt our ears are in for a treat!” she added.
Barratini is famous for fusing animal heads to surfers’ bodies, which she says “Was probably a subconscious idea that was implanted by cartoons of the ’90s. I just think it’s fun, and because it brought me joy, I hoped it would bring others joy.”
Another Animal Shred participant who’s bringing others joy is Hirona Matsuda, a multi-talented fine artist who plays with shadows and light through stunning dioramas, which are models representing a scene with three-dimensional figures, either in miniature or as a large-scale museum exhibit.
“[Matsuda] is one of my favorite artists in the world and I am very stoked that she’s go-ing to be a part of the show… I cannot wait to see what she’s creating,” says Barratini, who started painting early in elementary school and learned color theory by 4th grade.
“My mom is a very talented artist, and I’m sure that by the time my hands could get into paint, I was putting it on something,” says Barratini.
In high school, Barratini loved whitewater kayaking and decided she had to remain in some form of water while in college. After a semester as a coxswain for the College of Charleston crew team, Barratini took her first surf lesson from a pregnant Jenny Brown of Shaka Surf School.
“I could not be more grateful for all that surfing has brought me,” she says. “I’m very in love with the communities around the art of surfing … I also love that it keeps you in gratitude and it brings you to the most curious places with delicious food.”
It seems only natural that Barratini would blend together her two loves: surfing and art. But it wasn’t always easy. She admits she encountered some bumps on the creative road while painting one of her favorite pieces titled Red Tailed Shred.
“I had such a hard time trusting myself and that made it extremely hard to sit down and keep going. I would stare at it and the visceral reaction my body had to it was like trying to walk through molasses,” recalls Barratini. “I was stuck in my head and kind of angry … what saved me as an artist and gave me the confidence to just do the dang thing was a book by Liz Gilbert named Big Magic, and I highly recommend it. My ability to paint water has certainly improved and I’m able to trust myself more. Painting water with acrylics can get scary and after 10 years, I can say with certainty that ‘trusting the process’ is real.
In addition to her work on canvas (and on the walls of Drop-In Deli where she bartends), Barratini is also a prolific muralist. Of the many local murals she has painted over the years, she says her favorite is the one at Huriyali on James Island, which features all parts of our marsh ecosystem.
“The critters in that mural all have such great personalities, and my hope is that it inspires folks to be outside and be reminded that they too are animals,” she says.
Besides Barratini’s trademark “Animal Shred” series of paintings, Animal Shred — The Final Show will also features works by Taylor Faulkner, Anna Chen, Eric Jones, Justin Morris, Chris Kemp, Isa Bormstein, and Hirona Matsuda.
Animal Shred — The Final Show will be held Friday, Aug. 29, from 6-10 p.m. in downtown Charleston at Hed Hi Studio, located at 654 King St. For more information, visit www.hedhistudio.com.
