Thought Provoking Western Art Coming to Billings, Hi Line Artist Describes Work

She was showing her artwork at the Miles City Buckin' Horse Sale. It was a painting of an elk. A well dressed man was admiring the work. Then he told Cathryn- it would be better if it was a naked painting of her instead.

Cathryn McIntyre said she was so shocked at what the man just said that it inspired the Hi Line Montana artist to dedicate a series of paintings to strong women who work in strong roles, and yet still face harassment.

The above photo is of one of those paintings on her "Cat's Corner Studio" Instagram page. (*Note- a slight edit was made by the author of this post in the photo above simply for the posting on this radio station website. The original artwork does not obscure the chest.)

We spoke with Cathryn last week ahead of her showing at the Green Door Gallery in Livingston (which she said had a phenomenal turnout by the way). Coming up in October she'll be showing her work in Billings.

In her series, she paints women who work in law enforcement, firefighting, ranching, and other professions:

McIntyre: These works are a narrative. A dialogue. They are expressive of the torrential experiences of these women, whose stories I have embroidered on the clothes they wore while they were working

It's also worth pointing out that McIntyre doesn't just paint the paintings of the women. She weaves fabric from the clothing that they actually wear to work into the paintings.

McIntyre: These works look closely at the social structures that influence internal dialogue. I paint these women unclothed, naked, as they might be imagined by men gazing at them, sexualizing them, while they work. Their nudity is an uncovering of the truth behind that sexual gaze, but it is also my celebration of the beauty of the female form and of feminine spirit.

We'll keep you posted ahead of her gallery showing in Billings. In the meantime, you can follow her work on Instagram and Facebook.