Sarah B MacDonald 's Projects

BFA Alumni

Major: Ceramics

Graduation Year: 2021

Artist Statement:

I sculpt with the meditative medium of clay to extricate extreme grief by creating exuberantly painted creatures inspired by my love of the natural world, specifically animals and plants. My benevolent sculptures own a colorful surface of abstract naturally occurring patterns. I design my work to reference the distorted, but recognizable, features of children’s toys. I am elaborating on the importance of developmental childhood play and its necessary extension into adulthood for our mental health. My imaginary creatures reside in environments constructed through experimentation in transforming found and collected recycled materials. Presenting discarded objects alludes to the inevitable outcome faced by all things in the circle of life. We all exist momentarily, our energy eventually displaced through our nutrients absorbed by the earth. I conjure these creatures to confront the sentimental preciousness bestowed upon significant experiences that impact our existence as thinking and feeling human beings.

Biography:

Emanating from her childhood, Sarah MacDonald’s enthusiasm for natural phenomena continues to inspire her research in bringing drawn creatures to life in clay. Early artistic ambitions in sculpture presented MacDonald the opportunity to attend a workshop with Kathy King at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, located in her home state of Maine. She received Marshwood High School's Art Award for two consecutive years; receiving two honorable mentions between 2017-2020. She is working towards marrying her whimsical creatures to an environment consisting of collected and transformed recycled materials. She will graduate with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Maine College of Art in 2021.