Artist Statement

Crusta Petrosa, 2002.

The natural world is comprised of elements that form distinct and perceptible patterns. Both ordered and chaotic in structure, these patterns embody elements of time, space and chance. The organization and layering of these patterns generates inner structures that form the basis of my work. Using photography, drawing, printmaking and installation I create works of art exploring issues of human complexity.

The images I create through printmaking are composed of numerous layers generated from photography, drawing and digital imagery. The process of layering is essential for developing richness in color, texture and depth. I use the contrast between darkness and light to create abstractions of space representing inner worlds within us. These interior landscapes transition between macro- and microcosmic worlds referring to ideas surrounding the scientific process in which investigation of minute subunits is integral to understanding the entire picture.

My recent work explores the ephemeral qualities of light and glass. Using digital photography, I capture light as it reflects off different surfaces. These projections generate seemingly random, yet ordered patterns of light strongly resembling forms present in the natural world; i.e. molecular, cellular and/or anatomical architecture. Incorporating the process of photo-silkscreen and various digital techniques, I slowly build up these images through a series of multiple layers. Using translucent and metallic inks, I produce screenprints that capture an ethereal lightness while embodying a sense of richness and depth that in many ways resembles an oil painting.

By incorporating computer manipulation in some instances, a lack of clear, defined origin creeps in posing questions to the viewer: Is this part of the inner workings of the human body? Could this be some new life form? Or perhaps some celestial body from space? The ambiguities surrounding my images evoke a sense of memory in which the subject appears to be something recognizable yet never fully realized. Therefore, my representation of these abstracted worlds does not rest solely on their physical or structural elements. Rather, they are forms that embody the intricate, complex nature relevant to understanding our own unique histories of emotional states, mental conditionings and spiritual journeys.

Sarah Sanford