Cat Outwin

Cat Outwin is a Singer-Songwriter and Abstract Expressionist Artist.

Recording at The Lab, 2023

Music

Welcome to the enchanting world of Cat Outwin’s music, where emotion intertwines with ethereal melodies, creating an immersive experience that transports listeners to realms both intense and chill. As an Auckland-based musician, Cat Outwin has woven her passion for songwriting into a tapestry of sonic landscapes that defy genre classification.

From a young age, Cat’s soulful voice and poignant lyrics have captivated audiences, reflecting her deep-seated love for expression through music. Influenced by luminaries such as Stevie Nicks, Nick Cave, Nico and the Velvet Underground, Cat Stevens, and Patti Smith, she has cultivated a sound that is uniquely her own while paying homage to her musical inspirations.

At the heart of Cat Outwin’s compositions lies a sense of raw emotion, expressed through haunting melodies and introspective lyrics. Her songs weave intricate narratives that resonate with listeners on a profound level, inviting them to embark on a journey through the depths of human experience.

Drawing on a diverse array of instruments, including her beloved Korg 01/W Synthesizer and 12-string Guitar, Cat creates richly layered soundscapes that are both atmospheric and immersive. Whether she’s crafting delicate harmonies or unleashing crunch grungy distorted electric guitar riffs, each note is infused with a sense of purpose and meaning.

Cat Outwin’s music transcends traditional boundaries, effortlessly blending elements of ambient, folk, and rock to create a sound that is truly unique. With her evocative storytelling and mesmerizing vocals, she invites listeners to immerse themselves in her world, where beauty and melancholy coexist in perfect harmony.

Join Cat Outwin on a sonic journey unlike any other, where every chord and lyric serves as a testament to the power of music to touch the soul and stir the emotions. Discover the magic of her music and experience the transformative power of sound.

A Slice In Time…1994 !

Step into the time capsule of musical nostalgia with Catherine Castle’s debut album, recorded at Gazelle Studios in 1994. This pivotal moment marked Catherine’s transition from home recordings on her trusty 4-track to the professional studio environment, opening up a world of possibilities in sound exploration.

With her band by her side, Catherine Castle embarked on an exhilarating journey into the heart of the recording process. The studio walls reverberated with the excitement of a budding musician finally stepping into the realm of professional production. Multiple tracks and harmonies danced through the air, as Catherine’s vision came to life with each meticulously crafted note.

At the helm of the mixing console was Aron Ross, a young graduate from SAE, whose enthusiasm mirrored Catherine’s own. Together, they embarked on a sonic adventure, fine-tuning each element of the album to perfection. Aron’s passion for his craft infused every track with a youthful energy, elevating the recording process to new heights.

But Catherine’s musical odyssey didn’t end there. Venturing into the hallowed halls of York Street Studios, she recorded a single that captured the essence of a bygone era. Nestled amidst the nostalgia of a studio once home to the annual Telethon, Catherine Castle’s music echoed with the memories of a generation of Kiwis.

Recording at Gazelle Studios

Rehearsing for Catherine Castle

Painting

Cat also creates contemporary abstract paintings establishing her own vocabulary of texture and interruption through colour and form.  After studying Visual Arts at M.I.T. in 2004 she has painted from her studio in Takapuna.

Her work is inspired by seductive materials such as resin, acrylics and mixed media and are created after meditating on subjects such as our emotional responses to colour.

By a process of addition and manipulation Catherine explores the relationship between surface and depth, creating a dynamic interplay between elements.

The paintings you see are the final scene of a moving picture whose history is encoded in layers of resin.

Latest Paintings

My latest body of work has been inspired by my work as a behavioural therapist and the emotions that are brought on by our nervous systems and associated with our thoughts, feelings, behavioural responses and the pleasure or pain these emotions evoke. Emotions are complex and a wonderful challenge to express through my art. Sometimes we are consciously aware of our emotions and other times the experiences that arouse the emotion are trapped in our subconscious. As an artist, I constantly go “into the zone” whilst creating, this can produce organically created and expressive work, derived from my subconscious mind.

Earth, Water & Fire Exhibition

One of North Auckland’s most interesting and successful galleries will be presenting an exhibition of Catherine Outwin’s mixed media paintings from May 24th – June 13th, 2008.

Earth, Water, Fire is Catherine’s 3rd solo exhibition and offers the opportunity to see her latest group of beautiful and unique paintings which use mixed media and layers of resin. The colour palette she has used includes rich and vibrant reds, earthy tones and deep blues.

On a deeper level the paintings allude to her passion for the environment and our relationship with it – whether as conservationists or destructors. The resin can signify water for example or reflect the viewers image incorporating them as part of the work.

ResinLove

Symbolism Series

Falling Slowly

I See RED ! Exhibition

Colour Series

”Abstract Art is a new kind of visual language which challenges the viewer by removing the subject matter thus providing freedom from the subject matter and forcing us to become active participants in finding recognisable forms by using our imaginations. ”

‘My latest body of work has been inspired by the seductive materials and colours which investigate modern techniques of mixed media art. As a result of experimentation and a fascination with colour charts I’ve derived a new avenue for creative expression through my use of colouring and resins.

A lot of the paintings refer to movement – circles, momentum, concentric, symbols moving across the board, water falling, liquid etc… This theme goes perfectly with the organicity of the resin and other materials.