BFA Exhibition: UMass Lowell Art and Design

https://youtu.be/K8bXrWgII8g

“Mask” - Paper Mache - 24” x 60”

“Extremely Soft” Video displayed on TV. Duration 2m48s.

“Extremely Soft” Video Screenshot 1m 14s

“Extremely Soft” Video displayed on TV. Duration 2m48s

Sarah Sullivan

Extremely

Soft

Loneliness can manifest in different ways for different people. For some, it might be a fleeting feeling that comes and goes, while for others, it can be a persistent ache that weighs heavily on their hearts and minds. It is in being alone that one discovers the true essence of self, and in that, there is space enough to grow. Loneliness is going to the beach in the wintertime when you don't know where else to turn. In solitude, there is a quiet strength, to be by oneself, find the space to dream, create, and bloom. Watching the waves dance, being pulled by the moon, you are surrounded. You are the only one there, solitude, and realize that even in the quietest moments, they are never truly alone.

Mask - Paper Mache - 24” x 60”

“Extremely Soft” - Acrylic on Canvas - 36” x 48”

“The Only Pearl” - Acrylic on Canvas 32” x 32”

“I Promise” - Acrylic on Fabric - 4” x 4”

“Letting Go Too Much” - Acrylic on Paper 18” x 24”

“Becoming One” - Acrylic on Canvas 30” x 40”

“Two Dogs” - Acrylic on Canvas 30” x 48”

“X Marks the Spot” - Acrylic on Paper 18” x 24”

Artist/Thesis Statement

I am interested in figuration as a means to communicate the feelings of falling victim to loneliness, to walk a line of happiness and sadness, and to rediscover those complex feelings. To create a sense of relation but also confusion, as if there is a hidden threat around the corner, to lay there softly yet to feel so extremely.

Through painting, sculpture, and video installation, I draw from the different quietness of solitude. Starting with a video taken at the beach during the winter months, it is desolate and foggy, but just as beautiful as it is in the summertime. I appreciate it even more when I have it to myself. The shots of the lonely blue-saturated beach contrast my body and my mask. Seagulls remain at the beach in wintertime, and their call is longing and persistent.

The paintings go through a slightly different experience of seclusion. They are isolated on the canvas, only to be surrounded by bold colors. The figures take form through a feminine view, the weight of the world exaggerates their body.

To be alone is to find your way in life down your own path. In the solitude, there is a strength in quietness. I invite you to my world through something practically recognizable. The exaggeration of the body represents the toll emotion can have. The mask suspended represents a world for my thoughts. Its large scale pushes the boundary of this realm and it invites the viewer to try it on.