In my work, I am constructing psychological space. My intent is to explore the human psyche and relish the idea that we are all beautifully flawed. These large-scale images (48″ x 60″) come from the exploration of human behaviors and compulsions. I look for an everyday level to the clinical subjects that I research, as tendencies toward one issue or another are present in everyone.
I have always been drawn to using interior space in my work and ultimately focused on the psychological weight that a space can have. I realized that by controlling the environment more I could create a space that holds a narrative.
The settings are always in actual spaces as opposed to a studio. The domestic setting places the scene in reality while the situation created is an elaborate exaggeration. The space represents a thought process, a feeling, or a subconscious drive.
I am exploring how we come to see ourselves, see others, and how others may come to see us through our quirks. These images illustrate how we relate to others, to the world at large, how our traits affect other people, and how the world affects us given our various traits, whether they are internalized or externalized. Further, I am examining our attempts to manage our issues ourselves, and the inevitable pitfalls these efforts create.
It is ultimately the viewer who completes this work. There can be a comfort found in recognizing that one is not the only person with such a problem. However, there is discomfort in the possibility of being face to face with an aspect of oneself that is in general negative. Each piece is a kind of self-test.
Sarah Hobbs
Sarah Hobbs: Small Problems in Living
Publisher: Charta
72 pages
ISBN-10: 8881588315
ISBN-13: 978-8881588312
