Sarah Hawley

Sarah Hawley: Distinguished Impression

Distinguished Impression, 2011
serigraph on decorative paper
13″ x 13″
Sale Price: $125.00

My artwork deals with ornamentation and is presented in a way to facilitate transformation and change that generates a variable reading or experience. The motifs that are presented within the work are strongly impacted by pattern and repetition. Historical patterns and cultural designs enhance the ritualistic and/or spiritual quality that the motif produces.

I am fascinated by our ability to communicate with signs and semiotics as a way to break through language barriers. Related issues such as diverse interpretation and intercultural involvement are also strong interests of mine.

This work in particular entitled “Distinguished Impression” is a serigraph or silkscreen print on decorative paper. This artwork explores illusion and the many different uses of the Fleur-de-lis. This motif has held various meanings throughout different cultures in history. In this work the motif appears and disappears when viewed at different angles and forces the viewer to really observe the work.

I will intentionally use symbols that hold more than one meaning and/or contexts. In my research the Fleur-de-lis has been used in religious settings, to represent royalty and dynasties. It has been featured on ancient coins and a coat of arms for Florence, Italy. The flag of Quebec is probably one of the most common associations today; however, it is also currently used as a symbol or pattern in home décor. Because this symbol is so widely used to represent a variety of subjects, my work is able to speak about these references through its interpretation.