Sarah Martin

I am fascinated by the ways we manifest our selves through material objects. The choices we make regarding our possessions broadcast to the world our values and cultural affiliations. Possessions become a literal extension of the self and are inextricably tied to the owner. They are stand-ins for a person in their absence. The things external to us, our property or appearance, tell others more than we often intend. We are read from the outside in, and likewise read others, each seeing an imperfect view of our real, complex selves. I explore the relationship between an objects appearance and its nature; how decoration is used in the creation of meaning. Using furniture forms as an analog for humans and how we interact with one another, my primary focus is on cabinets as an expressive vehicle. They are the perfect model for the human psyche, revealing their hidden contents after some effort on the part of the viewer to open them. Though the outside may be plain, once opened it reveals lush decoration, an entire environment, reinforcing the idea that peoples’ outsides rarely belie their rich interior lives. That same approach to decoration has carried over into my functional work as well, integrating vintage fabric or complex carving with an otherwise simple form in order to indicate an objects’ “specialness”.
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