"All
art, in my view, is in part abstract and my work reflects that fact. In sculpture the design is inherently associated with the
medium, its choice dictating one's approach. Sheet metal or plate
implies crisp edges, sharply defined volumes and shapes. Modeling
in clay or resins allows more rounded organic form. This organic
quality can also be expressed in welded pieces including an additive
method of texturing the surface. Stone and wood can also be worked
in a purely abstract way or in an organic manner.
In my work, I sometimes explore in the design, the spacial relationships
of shape, volume, line, color and edges. In other work, my approach
may be more `traditional' seeking to express the essence of an
experience and make it visible to the viewer -- all of which beg
the questions, what is Art? -- what is Reality? Each viewer's
life experience determines how he/she `sees' the piece. Seeing
is more than merely identifying an object. Seeing is to absorb
the subtleties of its parts, their relationships to each other
and to the whole, the rhythm and dynamics of its entirety. This
requires spending some time looking intently."
Sarah
Smith
Charlottesville, Va.
