Minimalistic Freedom with Sculptor Sarah Larby.
Leeds based Artist Sarah talks to us about verbs as inspiration, the importance of spatial architecture and most importantly, trusting your gut. Sarah showcased some of her work as part of Round Lemon’s ‘Default’ exhibition.
What originally drew you to minimalism?
This might seem contradictory but the freedom of it. To create a work without specific subject matter was incredibly liberating for me, to be able just to focus on the material made me feel like a kid playing with playdough again. It brought a lot of joy back into my practice. I viewed minimalism as a way to bring out my inner child.
Your work, particularly that which is seen in our Default exhibition, is quite bodily in nature. Is this something you let happen naturally, or do you set out to create this appearance?
When I first started working with minimalism this was something that happened almost by accident, but the more work I make, the more fun it is to play with this element of the sculpture. I like to work with boundaries, and I’ve found the distinction between what is purely abstract and what is bodily or figurative really interesting. I find it quite difficult to make something that is completely abstract, as the human eye is always trying to make sense of the world. I view my work like the ‘Rorschach test’, more commonly known as the ink block test in psychology. If you haven’t seen them before, they’re ambiguous ink blots on white paper which are used to test people’s personalities. Some people will look at one of these splashes of ink and see a butterfly where others will see a skull. In reality they’re just a puddle of ink on the page, but people will always see what they want to see.
What inspires your work?
A lot of my work starts from a simple idea about wanting to exploit a certain material or process and then the content leads from there. At the moment I am trialing starting my work with a title and then letting that decide what form the work takes. So, I have pages at the back of my sketchbook which are just lists of words, inspired by Richard Serra’s ‘Verblist’ which he used to create work in the late 60’s. Some example words I’ve chosen would be; unwavering, pierced, kindred spirit, swarm and blush.
I really love your piece ‘Tipping Point’. What was your process of creating this work?
This work was made as an exploration to see how far I could push gravity - I had this idea in my head that I wanted to create a piece that would bend into an arc supported by the wall. Eventually I pushed it too far by adding more ‘scoops of plaster’ and it collapsed under its own weight, so the photograph is now the final work. Subconsciously I think it was showing the anxieties we felt living in ‘uncertain times’. When I look at it now, I see the rainbows we saw everywhere for support the NHS.
I recently read your piece ‘A Manifesto?’ in which you explored the idea of how the gallery could become a full-bodied experience. What would your dream exhibition look like?
My dream show would be all encompassing. I’d love to have the ability to create an environment in a space, working with the architecture of the space so the work and the space become one. Galleries used to be this sort of meditative space to me and I’d love to create a work where it isn’t just visual but also tactile. Maybe a room covered in shag rugs and sculptures where you have to take your shoes off to go in.
Where do you see your work progressing towards in the future?
I’m slowly moving towards more bodily works or looking at how sculpture interacts with the human body, I really love the idea of creating something big and bold. For now, I’m focused on developing my skill set, so working with more materials and potentially ceramics.
What is one piece of advice you wish you had been given at the beginning of your art journey?
Trust your gut. Do what you want to do and be careful listening to other opinions. You will always get advice from others about your artwork; and sometimes it will come from someone who you perceive to have more knowledge or experience than you. In reality, no one knows your practice better than yourself and if something gets suggested to you – you don’t have to try it! A lot of advice can be good advice but follow your own instincts and you are more likely to get where you want to go.
