Migrations by Middlebury artist Sarah Ashe runs Friday, October 16 thru Sunday, November 22, 2020.
The overall Gallery theme for the fall is EarthFirst which comes out of a need to recognize the power of the Universe as well as our own voice in it…. We have become a transformative force—which ever way you want to look at it. in this case, the migration of humans across the globe continues the centuries old drama. And is one that engages empathy, fear, pain, torment, and joy.
Sarah Ashe: “This body of work on Migrations is about the challenges and experiences of millions of people: migrants, asylum seekers and refugees all searching for a better life. To leave everything you know, often risking your life is only done in the most desperate circumstances. So much of migration today involves enormous risk, courage and desperation… to move with the seasons as part of life’s rhythm is one form… but to have to leave is sadly a reality of our times. It’s the latter that my work focuses on. I want my work to bring attention to these courageous and resilient people.”
Several pieces of the Katrina Convoy
Sarah Ashe: Migrations : Artist Statement
GreenTARA Space, October/November 2020
I express my concerns and feelings through art as a way to better understand and connect with what is important to me. Over the years I’ve made masks, sculptural lights, studies of trees, sculptures from recycled materials and paintings.
This body of work on Migrations is about the challenges and experiences of millions of people: migrants, asylum seekers and refugees all searching for a better life. To leave everything you know, often risking your life is only done in the most desperate circumstances. I want my work to bring attention to these courageous and resilient people.
Playing with materials opens up new paths to imagination. Discoveries, such as teabags dipped in wax becoming people and garlic stems turning into heads or feet, lure me into the studio. The recurring tent image in these paintings represents the endless ticking of time when waiting and isolated. Painting on ripped, sewn and glued canvas speaks to “making do” and the ingenuity of reconstruction. The process and materials together support what I want the work to convey.
Having a focus on social issues energizes me. And through this lens I feel hopeful that greater understanding and empathy will pull our world together and enrich lives.