Emma Sprague

Through my work, I am attempting to convey themes of serenity, intimacy, value, union, and communication. I have presented reflections that hold great value to me. The images are ideas drawn from family relations, personal struggles, and places of importance. In my work, I demonstrate the serenity found by cherishing the things of value in my world.

To exhibit these ideas and themes, I have experimented with negative space, focal points, and various palettes and mediums to express the connections and importance of each artwork’s subject matter. I used different mediums and surfaces as well as compositional strategies to represent the importance of the messages being conveyed. In some of my work, I have showcased my subject matter in a symbolic way, whereas in others I took a straightforward approach. For example, in my wallpaper titled A Girl and her Violets, I took a symbolic approach to communicate the message of indifference. I used the repetition of violets with two hidden peonies, throughout the pattern, to show how one can stand out in a crowd and how that may lead to feelings of disconnect. When choosing a symbolic route, I wanted the viewer to connect with the piece however they wanted to. When the subject matter held a higher level of significance, I took a more literary approach in representing the message of how I was feeling and the emotions that I wanted to present. These emotions include happiness, strength, grace, love, peace, and willingness. In A Portrait of a Sister, I used the creation of art to show my personal connection with my sister. Although I used moments of significance to me, I also looked to different artists for inspiration. I looked deeplyprofoundly into artists like Kathe Kollwitz and Molly Dee for inspiration and guidance. Molly Dee is American portraiture that paints from old photographs and memories of loved ones. She became my inspiration for compositional strategies and palette choice. I studied her paintings seeing how particular materials and techniques were used to show her connections to the figures in her pieces. I used Kathe Kollwitz for illustrating my emotions through my work.

From the work showcased in my exhibition, I intend to create a relationship between the viewer and the artwork. Through my work, I aim to allow my viewer to connect on a personal level and recognize the significance of each piece. To allow this connection, I have arranged my work in a way that allows the themes and ideas to present themselves. My work is organized in a grid-like format with the intention of allowing the viewer’s eyes to scan the pieces and focus on each piece individually.. Having an uncomplicated arrangement lets the viewer know that each piece is equally important. There is no centerpiece which connects to the idea surrounding the significance of every piece. This allows the viewer not to get caught on one piece and to focus on all the pieces. I have placed one of my pieces, a series called 02554, stretching beneath all the pieces. This acts as a timelapse of my memories creating a feeling of remembrance for the pieces placed above. Although I have arranged my work in a grid, I have placed two pieces outside the specific composition. These pieces include my wallpaper titled A Girl and her Violets and my sculpture titled Caron. The wallpaper hangs straight down on a single panel on a different wall from my other work. Although this wall is separated, it is set up as an L-shaped wall creating an embodying feeling. My sculpture is placed on a pedestal in the corner of the two connecting walls. This pedestal, although separated from the hanging work, creates a connection between the two walls.