The Steeple Times asks artist and curator Kate Enters: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”
The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force?
Art, creativity and dignity.
“Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?
Not a motto per se but I do often ask myself this: “Are you getting the fun out of life that you should?”
Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2015?
Oh goodness. Where should I start? UKIP and ISIS. The world seems to have gone absolutely mad.
Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life?
The voracity and capacity for learning new things. You don’t realise the luxury of time that you have as a child when you are devouring knowledge. Now, I feel I snatch at moments to learn new things as it is a juggling act of understanding experiences over new knowledge.
What might you swap all your wealth for?
Guaranteed health. I will never, ever underestimate the importance and luck of having good health.
Donald Trump was once a case of: “If you owe the bank a thousand, they close you down; but if you owe the bank a billion, you own the bank”. What’s your view on the banking crisis?
What a total mess and one that will not be resolved anytime soon. To quote Aaron Swartz (1986 – 2013): “But like all power, there are those who want to keep it for themselves”.
What phrase or word do you most loathe?
Any form of ‘text’ speak. It is not charming or clever; please don’t do it.
In the UK, some people consider charity to “begin at home”. What’s your view and what causes do you personally support?
Charity begins with an individual who has a good dose of empathy in their make-up.
I think I am very lucky and therefore try to support everything I can. I always try to donate my paintings when asked for charity auctions and have done so recently for Reading Matters and the Willow Foundation.
I have also set-up a not-for-profit initiative of my own named ‘What Is The Point?’ This is an initiative to help artists exhibit without the commission led costs that often deter you from taking opportunities. Basically, the premise is that exhibitions become a collaborative process between a group of artists and we create a much larger chance of success by working together. I believe that to be true for a lot of things.
The judge in Law Abiding Citizen states: “I can pretty much do whatever I want” before being blown up whilst answering her mobile phone. What’s your view on the appropriate use of such devices?
They are false friends: Put them down, look around and smile at people. The rewards may not be so instant but they will sustain you for longer.
I did wonder if this question was regarding bombs and/or mobile phones. My answer stands for both.
If you could fill a carriage on The Orient Express, who would be your fellow passengers?
Well, I would be cautious seeing as one may die but as long as there wasn’t a small Belgian detective on the scene and I can bend the rules of alive or dead, I would adore spending a journey with the following characters: Noël Coward, the leading ladies from How To Marry A Millionaire, Louis Armstrong and his band, Pablo Picasso, my father, Amelia Earhart, Cary Grant, Federico Fellini, Käthe Kollwitz and Albert Einstein. The rest of the seats would be allocated to my closest friends: They know who they are.
If you were unfortunate enough to end up on death row, what would be your last meal and where would you eat it?
Smoked salmon, horseradish sauce and cream cheese on crisp warm pumpernickel toast served with plenty of fresh lemon juice and cracked black pepper. On the side: A simple beetroot salad and a very very cold bottle of Perrier-Jouët Cuvée Belle Epoque. The meal would be served on the terrace of Osteria la Porta, Monticchiello at sunset.
What time is it acceptable to consume the first drink of the day?
It is always five o’clock somewhere.
A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?
A dirty gin martini.
Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?
My own as it is pretty much guaranteed that a favourite person of mine will be in attendance.
Who is the most positive person you know?
Me… And yes, I do annoy myself sometimes.
What’s your most guilty pleasure?
Vintage crime novels (Green Penguins) and watching old Poirot and Maigret episodes back to back late at night with a glass of Prosecco or two. No excuses: It just makes me happy.
If a tattoo were to sum you up, what would it be of?
A deck of cards.
If you were a car, what marque would you be?
A 1952 Aston Martin Vantage drophead coupé in British Racing Green.
Cilla Black presented Surprise, Surprise. Tell us the most surprising thing about you.
I know the rules of cricket and am a mean spin bowler.
What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?
Yellow roses in vintage Japanese vases. I lament the fact that people no longer send hard copy invitations.
London based Kate Enters graduated in fine art painting in 2000. Her works evoke a strong response to the aesthetic inspired by contemporary issues and images. She is also the organiser and host of an arts initiative supporting contemporary artists named ‘What Is The Point?’. The next ‘What Is The Point?’ annual exhibition will be held at the Mall Galleries in London in September 2015.
Follow her on Twitter at @KEnters77.
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I like her attitude to life. She looks and sounds like a lovely person.
How much do her works of art sell for?
Has she donated a painting to the Find Madeleine campaign? I do hope Kate Enters will do so if she hasn’t already. Dear Gerry and Kate McCann need all the support they can to find their beloved daughter Madeleine and it would be a generous gesture that would be much appreciated. Meanwhile I again demand that The Steeple Times does something to support Find Madeleine instead of attacking people like Mowbarry Jackson and Sir Christopher and Lady Meyer…. They are good supporters of the campaign and I would urge the editor of this site to finally do the decent thing and support Find Madeleine. Thank you.
A jolly interview. I enjoyed reading it. Thank you.
“Where should I start? UKIP and ISIS The world seems to have gone absolutely mad”
Certainly, when some ‘artist’ is mad enough to suggest that a single issue political party whose aim is withdrawal from the EU can be equated to ISIS. Miss Enters is either very stupid or looking to make herself seem interesting. The former she is; the latter she does badly.
Having had the pleasure of working with Kate for a number of years I can safely say she is both intelligent, and interesting. Nice interview…
Well, quantifying intelligence is obviously not your forte…
She sounds the sort of thicko, who, to shock and give herself cool credentials, would compare UKIP to the Nazi’s….
She should stick to ‘curating’
Peter Wayde does annoy me at times. Having just read this woman’s answers I was about to comment on the foolish, lack of intelligence shown by her coupling UKIP and ISIS together. What a thoughtless idiot she is. But dammit Wayde has got there before me. Again!
I deeply and abjectly apologise Glenmore!