Sarah Edwards What if much of what we designed as humans borrowed its form from animals and the earth itself? What if over time and the separation of years from that spark of primary influence and invention we forgot about such similarities? What if we ceased to believe in responsibility, in debts owed to nature, in the shared shapes, weight and air of our world, the whole multi specie/landscape surroundings? What if our fate had always been linked to theirs and we had become experts in forgetting? Sarah Edwards picks up the traces of such similarity throughout her work, stemming from her study of design, Edwards writes: "I saw that the concepts used to create visually compelling content are in large part derived from nature, the golden ratio, weight/gravity, geometry. So why does so much of what we design look fundamentally different from anything found in nature? I concluded that it’s for the same reason we are destroying nature; humans, in large part, have culturally and ideologically separated themselves from the natural world" By creating representations of species as "distorted, glittery, oversimplifications of things that were beautiful to begin with, [they] become metaphors for the ways we distort and oversimplify the function of habitats, ecosystems, and populations the world over." Sarah's art operates on multiple fronts at once, it's not only the brush meeting the canvas, the message and learning moments encoded in the abstraction, the most beautiful part of it, as Edwards puts it, is that "art recounts more than just facts and chronologies; it serves as a record of where people’s hearts are as they get pulled through life." An account of where we stand and what matters most to us, including all that we've maybe forgotten, the shared responsibilities of a humanity tending toward amnesia but ultimately yearning for something more. AHC: What has your own personal evolution towards a life in art been like, are there a series of moments you can recall where this path, this calling, began to become the one clearly marked for you? SE: Art has always been the place where my confidence lies, though whether that translates into making strong work is another story. In school from a very young age, making visual work was my reprieve when I often found other subjects to be nightmarish, so it was never really a question that I would go into a creative field. In the years after finishing school, I continued painting while working in other roles, primarily as an art director and production designer for ad campaigns and films. I think it was my move to New York that finally forced my commitment to pursuing art as a career. The city demands such an enormous output of resources, time, and energy and you really have to fight with your back against the wall to get where you want to be. After a couple of years working 18 hour days in advertising and feeling miserable, I realized that it wasn’t enough to try and fit my work in on the weekends and that waiting until I had “time” was just not going to happen. After one particularly grueling summer of being on sets for multiple films, I reached a level of exhaustion that broke the cycle, I walked away from all other creative work and threw everything I had into painting. AHC: Your work hones in on the ills of our ecosystem, animals and what you call the anesthetized natural figure, which, if appreciated, have the potential of serving as an anti-dote. Could you explore and expand on some of the motivating ideas at work in both the images that you make and the process behind the making of them? How does the idea for you begin and what does its evolution look like during the stages of its development? SE: Our relationship as humans to the natural world is complex and rich with contradictions. My fascination with that relationship has always been the driving force behind my work. That investigation started when I was studying design - I saw that the concepts used to create visually compelling content are in large part derived from nature, the golden ratio, weight/gravity, geometry. So why does so much of what we design look fundamentally different from anything found in nature? I concluded that it’s for the same reason we are destroying nature; humans, in large part, have culturally and ideologically separated themselves from the natural world. I try to create a sense of that separation in my work by using organic imagery, animals, and landscapes that may be endangered or suffering from the effects of climate change for example, and then find ways to represent them as manipulated versions of themselves.. Distorted, glittery, oversimplifications of things that were beautiful to begin with, become metaphors for the ways we distort and oversimplify the function of habitats, ecosystems, and populations the world over. The aesthetic screen that the landscapes and animals get passed through takes away their authenticity, and in that way, the human presence in my work is the aesthetic itself. The “anesthetized natural figure” in a sense also represents the tendency to construct narratives as means of numbing ourselves to these realities. On a less dismal note, the work is also very much about affection for the natural world. I think the ways that cultures through history have monumentalized stunning creatures and landscapes is genuine and heartfelt. I want to pay tribute to that tradition while sending a message that those sentiments also need to inform our actions regarding how we treat the earth. AHC: Who are some of your artistic influences? Is there anyone outside of the art world who has had a huge impact on you and your work or who just generally inspire you on some level, writers, filmmakers, comedians, musicians etc? SE: Graffiti was one of my first big influences, thanks in large part to my brother. Growing up in the suburbs of California it was often the only artwork that I saw on a regular basis on highway walls and on trains. The boldness and graphic style is something that still influences my work. Graffiti helped me recognize the rebellion that art can embolden and the tension that it creates, the artist stating; It is my job not to fall in line. In the art world proper, David Hockney’s landscapes have had an enormous impact on me, along with bold, visceral work from artists like Marilyn Minter, Yayoi Kusama, and Ren Hang. Since my days of having to sit through art history class, I’ve also loved Gothic and Early Renaissance religious paintings.They have always felt like the first western versions of glamorous advertising to me. Outside of art, I’m inspired by outspoken thinkers and educators like Noam Chomsky, Neil Degrasse Tyson, and Rachel Carson who have devoted their lives not only to intellectual pursuits but to sharing and making accessible the perspectives that their expertise provide. More universally, storytellers of all kinds. In film, which shares a more visual link to art, I am drawn to decadents and eccentrics like David Lynch, the Coen Brothers, and Quentin Tarantino. AHC: What do you consider, personally, to be the most sacred and enduring aspects of art? How does it enrich our world and our cultural memory? How has it enriched your own life? In your opinion, what does art, at its finest moments, bring into the world that would otherwise leave us more impoverished without it? SE: That’s a big question! And one that I have spent a lot of time grappling with in the context of my own practice. I had a professor that told me once; art isn’t going to save the world, but I think it can help. It provides such a valuable record not only of who we are and have been but the shifting dynamics that we create and live through as individuals and communities. Art recounts more than just facts and chronologies; it serves as a record of where people’s hearts are as they get pulled through life. If the goal of journalism is to provide unbiased accounts of events, art is its antithesis. What drives people to spend lifetimes voluntarily laboring over something that has virtually no guarantee of ever paying off? Call it what you want, but I think the source of that drive and desire for expression is what “can help,” and what throughout history has provided the sparks that lead to progress and change. For me, there is catharsis in the kind of abstract problem solving that is required to produce a body of work. The challenge of alchemizing technical craft, narrative, and context is engaging at a level that I haven’t experienced with undertakings requiring linear “if this, then that” steps. Creative thought demands a suspension of compartmentalized thinking, and therefore enables a systemic rather than direct view of how the world works. It’s hard to express how fundamentally important I think that is. AHC: What is the first work of art you encountered that took your breath away? SE: Rather than a single piece, I’d say it was the first time I saw an exhibit of Anselm Kiefer’s work. His scale alone is enough to stop anyone in their tracks, but I think what struck me the most is the way his paintings vibrate and move, at times even in the absence of color and distinguishable form. It’s as if torment is seeping out from the paint and haunting whatever room the work occupies. Seeing those paintings in person helped me understand the potential that marks have to communicate profound emotion and tell stories that may not have anything to do with the pictures they make on the canvas. AHC: Do you have any words of advice or encouragement for young artists and other creatives who are experiencing self-doubt in their art, frustration or blocks? What are the types of things that have helped you to move past moments where you may have become stuck creatively? SE: There are a few things that I have to remind myself of pretty regularly; -Success is incremental. The amount of work that happens in-between milestones is usually pretty unglamorous, but that doesn’t mean that the milestones aren’t coming. The worst thing you can do is stop making work, just make something even if you think it sucks. A lot of times the most frustrating periods are the ones where progress is being made but isn’t yet manifested. -Nothing that you do in your studio is a waste of time. I feel a lot of the time like I’m not producing enough or quickly enough, especially in this culture of immediacy. Thoughtful, substantive work of any kind takes time, period. If I’m stuck on something, I put it away and come back to it later instead of getting stressed out about it. The great thing about making art is that it’s yours and you can do whatever the hell you want. -Don’t be your own enemy. It’s a romantic notion to think about the tortured artist who is a martyr to their work, but I’ve found that in reality, that approach is pretty miserable and exhausting. Spending time doing what you love is an enormous privilege despite any sacrifices that may come along with it. AHC: Do you have any upcoming exhibits or new projects you'd like to tell people about? SE: I’ll be showing in Miami at a fair called SuperFine in December during Art Basel. The fair has a great representation of young artists and galleries, anyone in Miami that weekend should stop by and say hi ;) I’m also really excited to be working on a couple of partnerships that benefit conservation organizations. One is with the Kenya Wildlife Trust, that is doing amazing work in East Africa to protect big cat populations and build sustainability in local communities. I am donating a portion of all art sales directly to the KWT and look forward to continued involvement with them hopefully in the region. Locally, I’m working with the Sierra Club of New York by contributing work for fundraising and marketing efforts. All images © Sarah Edwards For more visit www.sarahedwardsart.com/ Follow Sarah on Instagram @sarah_a_edwards
Phillip Holmes
9/23/2017 01:02:13 am
Love the way you think!
Sarah Edwards
11/7/2017 07:43:59 pm
Thanks for reading, Phillip! And so glad that the ideas resonated.
Linda Chapley
10/4/2017 10:24:58 am
Sarah, There is just so much about your philosophy I love. Happy to hear you'll be in Miami soon. I'll look forward to seeing your work, and you. Linda
Sarah Edwards
11/7/2017 07:47:23 pm
Thanks Linda! Please do come by the fair next month. If you email me through my website I can send you a pass for the fair. Hope to see you. Comments are closed.
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