“Sexy billboards” (2020) in collaboration with Megan Landro
Jessica DuPreez: Did you have work in the Spring 2020 Undergraduate Exhibition? Would you like to share it with us here? Do you have an Instagram page you would like us to share?
Sarah Wilson: For the BFA show, I collaborated with Megan Landro on three pieces. I painted three iconic “sexy billboards” that I grew up seeing often in the San Fernando Valley in California. I met Megan in Advanced Painting last semester and felt inspired by her figure work. An idea that I like to explore in my work is the layering and space between layers of paint. I wanted to see how her figurative oil painting compared to my flat text painting, seeing as though her hand is more obvious in her work than it is in mine. This ultimately gave the work another layer of “visible paint,” a concept I strive to keep minimal in most of my text work. @sarahjwilsonart @willdrawforfood
JD: What is your background?
SW: I’m originally from LA, which is the basis for most of my work. I spent my childhood and early teen years traveling around the San Fernando Valley and the city with my dad, who was photographer at the time. I was exposed to a lot of street art at a young age, which ultimately shaped the way in which I viewed art. As my practice evolves, I’ve begun to incorporate imagery from my father’s photographs into my paintings.
“Untitled” (2019)
JD: Can you tell us about your work?
SW: A few years back, I felt really lost with the direction in which my practice was going. In the beginning of sophomore year, my father suffered from a traumatic brain injury that left him with a 5% chance of living. Luckily he survived and is still alive today, but he is disabled physically and mentally. I found a lot of peace in painting imagery and signage that I felt he would photograph if he could (since he is now unable to hold a camera). When I am painting, I am connecting with my past father while also celebrating our memories together.
“Untitled” (2020)
JD: What is your favorite art material and why?
SW: Over the past couple of years, I have gotten really into using Flashe paint. It’s like a matte acrylic that dries super flat (and quick). Most colors are super pigmented which makes text painting much easier and fluid. The only downside is that it’s pretty expensive, and not every color is truly opaque. Fortunately I have been able to test out most of the colors, so I know which ones work best for my practice.
JD: What has been your favorite class/professor at SAIC?
SW: My favorite professor would have to be Andrew Falkowski, but I like to think of him more as an “art dad” than professor. My junior year was really difficult and I found myself with very low confidence and motivation to make work. I took Andrew’s material and techniques class based solely on a recommendation from a past professor that Andrew and I would get along well. When we first met, he made list out my bad painting habits, and promised to dedicate his time to help me break these habits. I found myself facing a lot of painting “firsts” and venturing outside of my comfort zone more frequently. Without his mentorship, I don’t know if I would have found the confidence to continue painting. I’m so thankful to have met Falkowski, he’s my dude.
“LA Sundays” (2020)
JD: How has the transition to a home studio effected your practice?
SW: As much as I enjoyed having a studio at SAIC, having an at home studio has been much more fulfilling to my practice. I think being in an environment where I feel complete control over when and how I get to work really refueled my passion for painting. Although I have learned how to paint faster, I have realized that I spend most of my time sitting with a blank gessoed panel thinking of the composition of the painting. I didn’t realize how beneficial “thinking time” would be to my practice since coming from an environment where there’s a constant pressure to make.
“Sticker Studies” (2019)
JD: How long have you been in Advanced Painting?
SW: I’ve been in Advanced Painting for a year. Being in this environment definitely kicked me into shape in terms of making work and time management.
JD: What has been your favorite part of being in Advanced Painting?
SW: I really enjoyed having my own studio and getting to see the other students daily. Having my own studio allowed me to keep organized and taught me how to work in a space with others.