CRANBROOK ACADEMY OF ART
Kate Auman is an MFA candidate in the 2D Design Department. Her body of work draws upon cultural perceptions of death, utilizing archival photos, personal writing, bookmaking, and sound. Recent pieces explore generational connectivity by comparing her disability and experience with those of late relatives. She has participated in various art programs, including Trojan Horse (with Payal Kapadia and Nicole Killian) and the McFadden Thorpe Typography program. The Museum of Impossible Forms (Helsinki) premiered her video art “August” in the summer of 2020. Kate is currently an educator at the College of Creative Studies in Detroit. She received her BS from Utah State University, studying under Cranbrook alum Mike Daines.
WHERE WERE YOU BORN, AND WHERE DO YOU LIVE NOW?
I was born and raised in Logan UT, now live in Greater Detroit.
STUDYING ON CAMPUS OR ONLINE?
A mix of both. I am high risk and change my practice to match what is safest for me.
MORNING PERSON OR NIGHT OWL?
Crip time
FAVORITE MOVIE?
Harold and Maude
FAVORITE BINGE WATCH?
Youtube
FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM?
Twitter (@KateAuman)
FAVORITE PODCAST?
I would rather talk to Joe Asciuto
FAVORITE BOOK?
Disability Visibility edited by Alice Wong
FAVORITE CHARITY/CAUSE?
Universal Healthcare and Disability Justice.
FAVORITE FREE TIME ACTIVITY DURING THE PANDEMIC?
Reading with, texting, and playing video games with my nieces and nephews. It will be years until I see some of them in person again, and I miss them.
HAVE THE CHALLENGES OF 2020 CHANGED HOW YOU THINK ABOUT GRAPHIC DESIGN AND DESIGNERS’ ROLE?
During the pandemic, disabled and chronically ill people have been overlooked and, at times, deemed dispensable. (Consider how many times you have heard the phrase “this only affects high-risk people.”) Those impacted most by these ableist systems are disabled Queer, Black, Indigenous, and other POC. Disabled folks are dying. In the face of this, understanding my role as a designer feels complex.
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