There is an enrapturing and mesmerizing element about Sarah Canfield‘s work that opens up the viewer eyes to more than what appears to be there. It also reveals a rather dissonant and sometime contemptuous relationship between nature and technology. A relationship that we have witnessed take place before our very eyes as it has shaped almost every facet of our modern society.
A multidisciplinary display, Reverb: Imagining the Invisible sees Canfield interpreting the aforementioned tug of war through a series of striking and immersive works that is quite otherworldly. Canfield uses various creative techniques including collage, painting, pastel, wall-hung sculpture and video projections. This may seem like overkill but it very much mirrors our current climate of microcosms and macrocosms that are swirling and intermingling with another to result is this brilliant but conflicting phenomena that we call “advanced civilization.”
Canfield’s work is both alien and familiar, much like our ever-evolving world around us. Organic and manmade forms live and breathe themselves into their own reality. One that may not be too far off from our own. Which is exactly what draws you in. As you visually consume Canfield pieces, you begin to wonder: Is this our future?
They say that art imitates life and vice versa but is it possible for art to predict life?
One cannot deny the pseudo-clairvoyant appeal of the work. Canfield provides more than just commentary. She is giving us a well-crafted window into what may come. Even through abstraction, Canfield, through multifaceted efforts, assembles a perceived trajectory that is nothing short of brilliance. The work is sincere in its observations and candid in its concern. You also feel like Canfield is making these works with furrowed brows, her lips pursed with intent and she constructs these dystopian tomorrows.
In the mood to take a stroll down our future memory’s lane, be sure to check out the last days Sarah Canfield’s Reverb: Imagining the Invisible! The exhibiton is currently on display at Mueller Art Gallery. Tell them Quiet Lunch sent you!
Akeem is our founder. A writer, poet, curator and profuse sweater, he is responsible for the curatorial direction and overall voice of Quiet Lunch. The Bronx native has read at venues such as the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, KGB Bar, Lovecraft and SHAG–with works published in Palabra Luminosas and LiVE MAG13. He has also curated solo and group exhibitions at numerous galleries in Chelsea, Harlem, Bushwick and Lower Manhattan.