Sarah's Artist Statement

My work is a mix of observational study and narrative derived from my identity, community, experiences, and physical appearance. My experiences guide how I interact with the world, while my physical characteristics often impact how I am treated. Thus, my work is guided by my meditations on these assumptions and my interpretation of self in a society that frequently tries to categorize, simplify, and control. Currently, the body and its facets are at the center of my work. In the aftermath of the overturning of Roe V. Wade I have spent much time considering my relationship with my physical self, how I was taught to perceive my body in the public education system and church, and the spatial relationships and power structures I exist within.

When drawing with charcoal I am able to quickly adjust light & shadow and planes of tone. The surface is malleable as I search for the figure within my construction. The figure evolves from the nameable observation of an individual to a series of darks and lights that differentiate forms. I have to consider the parts beyond the whole to draw something in space, just as I must consider my parts to understand who I am wholly. 

Beyond training the eye and learning how to create dynamic gestural forms, the inclusion and allusion to the figure in my work are important to me due to their expressive emotional nature. I am learning how to see the movement of the body in the relationship of objects, spaces, and even shadows. There are subtle unconscious movements in our presentations that display to those around us how we are feeling, what we are thinking, or what we think is expected. The capture of this emotion, regardless of where it comes from, fascinates me beyond making a recognizable image. Recently, this experimentation has been best suited to the material of clay. 

We all have a body, which can not be taken from us. How we use our bodies and how we present ourselves are questions with diverse answers within the scope of the personal, cultural, gendered, and societal lens. For these reasons I find the figure and bodily masses to be the focus of my current work.