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| Sara Post, Redwoods, ©2011, oil & cold wax |
I had a particular curiosity about this exhibit because Sara had confessed to me over coffee several weeks back that she had one month to come up with the artwork for this show. When she told me this, I knew for a certainty that she would take the proverbial tube of paint and run. And run with it she did.
A couple of weeks later, I stopped by her house to drop off a book. When I walked into her studio, work was spread over the tables, hanging on the walls and arranged on the floor. Joyful abandon reigned supreme.
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| Sara Post, Sprinklers, ©2011, monotype |
I'm fascinated by how specific conditions such as an imminent deadline can elicit completely different creative responses in people. Sara decided to look no further than her own backyard for inspiration.
A wise choice judging by the results. Sara honors the beauty of houses and gardens and the fascination that we bring to them. It's as if she's taken a magnifying glass to the world outdoors; exploring walls, windows, doors and rooftops; the spaces they create and the landscape they define.
Her work places itself in a tradition of modern landscape painters such as David Hockney and Cy Twombly.
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| Cy Twombly. Untitled (detail), ©2007 |
As I gazed at the pieces I found myself drifting into an imaginary back yard where pools of deep turquoise water drifted in and out of focus and grasses blew in the wind, waving their tips of gentle gold.
I crisscrossed the gallery, picking up one observation here and dropping another there, imagining the possibilities that my own back yard might offer.
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| Sara Post, Flags, ©2011, monoprint |
What a fun show that must have been. It is especially sweet to see a friend's art in a gallery. Thank you Hannah for showing this to us. There is certainly some Hockney and Twombly going around in this sense of joy. Must get to my garden:)
ReplyDeleteHannah: Great Review.
ReplyDeleteBeth: its true--what I was trying to convey was the richness that is possible by attending to one's own ground, so to speak.
ReplyDeleteWhy thank you Dianna!
Lovely work! I'm drawn to the last one in particular. "We must cultivate our own garden" .... a thought I will keep with me all week. As Autumn is drawing nearer I'm preparing myself for hard work in the studio. Summer is a slowing down for me since it is just too hot for comfort.
ReplyDeleteBeautifully written,Hannah. Wish I could see these pieces in person.
ReplyDeleteOur summers, like yours Robyn, are long and hot making me long for autumn and better studio days. We are in the midst of our winter rains--good for tending the "studio garden," not so great for the out of doors!
ReplyDeletePatty, thank you for stopping by. I wish we could transport Sara's work so that you could see. The textures are wonderful.
♥
ReplyDeleteSara is a very fortunate soul to have such a sensitive (that would be you) view and review her spontaneous and joyful creations...it has to be a jazzed exhibition...thanks for sharing her wonderful work.
ReplyDeleteYour words make the looking all the more lively...cool how that works.
Thank you Laura.
ReplyDeleteDonna--thank you--being able to see Sara's process made the art work that much more vivid for me--and reflecting on it, a fun challenge.
great insights. thanks.
ReplyDeleteThank you for that Diana!
ReplyDeleteI love seeing what a tight deadline inspires. At the same time it is so easy to overlook the beauty that is right in front of us. Sara took what she had available and created fantastic work. Thanks for sharing this!
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