“My work examines questions of perception and the apprehension of physical reality in a world that’s becoming increasingly virtual. The existence of the older world, and my forays into the space that lies between the old and the new, drive my interrogation of the material I work with, and the questions we all ask about the always in-flux world we have to navigate by default. If this new dimension is dematerialised and owns no shadow, then the material world, by contrast, has a deeper and more poignant presence. The objects, memories and accumulation of the physical world that we have all created have a material consciousness. They are the witnesses and channels of our actions. But having blurred our focus about how these human-made objects actually function, we have reached an inflection point where we might as well be in their service as the agents of their reproduction, rather than attempting to be in control of them.
I work by hacking into an object’s identity, drawing out anthropomorphic elements that are already latent. The objects chosen all stem from everyday life and are often elements which have biological, visceral or surgical attributes. Composed with reference to formal sculptural tropes, within the still life genre, these elements combine to present disquieting physical narratives. These narratives deliberately ask awkward questions about the relationship we have with a constructed environment that’s changing, and being overtaken, faster than we can imagine.”
Sarah Pager is currently an artist in residence at the Florence Trust, recent shows include ‘Menagerie: Art Not About Love’, Curated by Jaime Marie Davis and Katie Grace McGowan, at the Elaine L. Jacob gallery, Wayne State University, Detroit, and ‘Field Work’. Curated by Andrey Parshikov, at Muzeon Park, Moscow. Her work has been featured in the Catlin Guide, and Academy Now .
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