Artist Statement
My current body of work is part of an ongoing project exploring generational differences between women. These particular photographs are of women I am related to or personally know. I photographed them in their own interior spaces with their possessions to reveal their character and individuality. Each person I photographed wrote a response to a series of written questions I developed and the text from each woman is included in the exhibition. The various objects and possessions, including the handwriting, contextualize these portraits and allow the viewer to further investigate the images. Their personally possessions are artifacts, and their handwritten statements provide a physical connection to the person as well as adding a context to the narrative.
I am interested in conveying a sense of concern with a remembrance of things past and illuminating something specific about each person and their generation. The images together generate a narrative, a story about each woman that reflects her generation. This work investigates the commonalities and change in women from different generations. These pieces would fit this year’s theme, Transformations, because these pieces allude to the passing of time and reflections of memory. Each piece is an insight into an individual’s personal history.
These photographs are archival inkjet prints on vellum paper. The images are layered and sewn together. The stitching references a “traditional” female and domestic practice. The layered vellum papers create a sense of delicacy and nostalgia. I am placing the handwritten text behind the portraits and objects so that the subtleties of the words and nuances of the handwriting show through. I recently installed this work in a show and had several of the pieces hanging from the ceiling. The viewer could walk through the space and experience the work in the round. These pieces can also be displayed floating in glass frames. They range in size from 8.5x11” to 16x20”. I would categorize this as photo-based multi-media work.
Captions
Sara Luxen, Looking Back, 2006, photographic print on vellum with stitching, 8.5x11”
Sara Luxen, Treasures, 2006, photographic print on vellum with stitching, 8.5x11”
Sara Luxen, Timeless Vanity, 2006, photographic print on vellum with stitching, 8.5x11”
Sara Luxen, A Long Day, 2006, photographic print on vellum with stitching, 8.5x11”
Sara Luxen, Old Friends, 2006, photographic print on vellum with stitching, 8.5x11”
Sara Luxen, Wisdom, 2006, photographic print on vellum with stitching, 8.5x11”
Sara Luxen, Sunday Best, 2006, photographic print on vellum with stitching, 8.5x11”
Sara Luxen, Suddenly, 2007, photographic print on vellum with stitching, 8.5x11”
Sara Luxen, The Journey, 2007, photographic print on vellum with stitching, 15x21”
Sara Luxen, Comforting Friend, 2007, photographic print on vellum with stitching, 14x20”
