Sarah Irvin
“In this work I write cursive text on a smooth surface with ink and then use a squeegee to destroy the marks I have created. The ink spreads across surface into a new composition. The resulting marks are the remnant of a written word, but the meaning has been confused and hidden. I am exploring a visual representation of thought while contemplating the limits of words as signifiers. Overall, my work is based on explorations of autobiography, family history, my genetic heritage, and memory. I have focused on hidden text as a representation of memory, the abilities and limitations of the mind and the simultaneous power and shortcomings of language.”
In Sarah Irvine's ink paintings on Yupo paper, the energy of the squeegee moving her words across the surface speaks for itself. Her palette is varied and rich, and the waves and crests her squeegee creates reflect the energy of her thoughts and the messages she sends out to the world.
Sarah Irvin is an artist, curator, and educator. She has an MFA from George Mason University and a BFA from the University of Georgia. She has exhibited extensively in the United States and abroad. Her work is included in numerous public and private collections including the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and teaches at VCU arts. She lives and works in Richmond, VA, and is represented by Kathryn Markel Fine Arts with two locations in New York City