Sage Lewis

<i>Continuity Plan</i>, 2006, thread and paper over digital print, 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 in
Continuity Plan, 2006, thread and paper over digital print, 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 in

<i>Calatrava Flower</i>, 2007, ink and thread on paper 5 x 5 1/2 in
Calatrava Flower, 2007, ink and thread on paper 5 x 5 1/2 in

<i>Untitled</i> (detail), 2006, encaustic wax, toner, and nylon thread on paper 6 x 8 in
Untitled (detail), 2006, encaustic wax, toner, and nylon thread on paper 6 x 8 in

<i>Untitled [yellow with white thread]</i>, 2007, thread and acrylic on paper, 5 x 5 1/2 in
Untitled [yellow with white thread], 2007, thread and acrylic on paper, 5 x 5 1/2 in

<i>It Ain't Easy</i>, 2006, embroidered bookmark, 3 x 8 in
It Ain't Easy, 2006, embroidered bookmark, 3 x 8 in

ARTIST STATEMENT
Throughout my work, elements of basic structures are abstracted from architectural forms. Some have components loosely drawn in ink that contrast with the precision of sewn Blackwork patterns surrounding them. Blackwork is a type of counted-stitch embroidery made popular in the 15th and 16th centuries that often decorated sleeves, collars, and ruffs. Based on the grid, these hand stitched designs create networks of geometric stitches that become their own architectural structure with the paper.

The process of hand stitching is a very methodical and determined act, which gives each stitch a sense of intention and purpose. I choose to depict architectural forms using flexible, delicate materials like thread and paper to serve as a metaphor for ideas about strength and weakness. The assumption that these forms are inherently strong and that thread and paper are weak, is a concept I enjoy challenging in both the form and content of the work. Questioning perceptions of what may be strong or weak, reliable, or tenuous in our daily lives is at the heart of the inspiration for this work.

The Bookmark Series are pieces sewn on ready-made lace bookmarks which are available at most craft stores. They are most commonly cross-stitched as a keepsake reminder of a favorite prayer or comforting phrase. Here, a word or phrase is now homage to something darker that evokes fear and uncertainty; an acknowledgment of weakness. The text is surrounded by a network of geometric patterned stitches that creates an intricate structure of threads, binding the letters to their support. These stitches form a traditional Blackwork pattern, a type of counted stitch embroidery popular in the 15th and 16th centuries. They are executed here as white-on-white instead of the traditional black on white, which gives them a more subtle abstract quality, and allows them to integrate with the white support fabric, thus existing as a field of texture that quietly takes over the heavier black text.

I’m interested in the structures that support our daily lives—whether it’s an I-beam, a biblical verse, or a law of physics—and what happens when they fall apart. I choose to depict architectural forms using flexible, delicate materials like thread and paper to serve as a metaphor for ideas about strength and weakness. The assumption that these forms are inherently strong and that thread and paper are weak, is a concept I enjoy challenging in both the form and content of the work. Questioning perceptions of what may be strong or weak, reliable, or tenuous in our daily lives is at the heart of the inspiration for this work.

Science and religion for example, are the belief systems that we rely upon to answer our most basic questions about the world and our place in it, but they are not infallible and can often mislead. Yet, we build our lives around a world that depends on upholding. When failures occur, crisis ensues, along with disillusionment, followed by a quest to regain understanding and trust in some renewed capacity. My fascination with this process of faith, failure, and aftermath drives the content of my creative work.

BIOGRAPHY
Sage Lewis lives and works in Portland, Maine. Her work has been featured in recent shows at Whitney Art Works in Portland and at the Center for Maine Contemporary Art in Rockport. Her work will be included in the 2008 Biennial at CMCA. Sage holds a degree in Painting and Art History from the Maine College of Art.

Education
2004 Bachelor of Fine Art, Maine College of Art: Portland, Maine

Exhibitions
2009
Home Work, Whitney Art Works, Portland, Maine
The Business of Art, University of New England Art Gallery, Portland, Maine
2008
Works of Art on Paper, Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences, Loveladies, New Jersey
Biennial Juried Exhibition, Center for Maine Contemporary Art

2007
Tiny, Whitney Art Works, Portland, Maine
Misuse, Center for Maine Contemporary Art
Intelligent Design, Whitney Art Works
Body Parts, Center for Maine Contemporary Art, Rockport at June Fitzpatrick Gallery, Portland

2006
Holiday Mixer, Whitney Art Works
The Ostrich Diaries and Other Stories, Space Gallery, Portland

2005
New Directions ‘05, Barrett Art Center, Poughkeepsie, New York
Reclaiming Space, Space Gallery
From the Inside, June Fitzpatrick Gallery

2004
2004 BFA Thesis Exhibition, Institute of Contemporary Art at Maine College of Art, Portland
Emerging Artists, The Clown Gallery, Portland

2003
Local Artists Thinking Globally, Chocolate Church Arts Center, Bath, Maine

Honors and Awards
2007 Good Idea Grant, Maine Arts Commission, Augusta

2005 Honorable Mention, New Directions ‘05, Barrett Art Center

2003
Honorable Mention, BFA Exhibition, Maine College of Art
Frank M. and Olive F. Gilman Foundation Challenge Scholarship
Doris L. Glover Endowed Scholarship
Alfred “Chip” Chadbourn Scholarship
Stephen and Palmina Pace Endowed Scholarship

2002 Nancy Stewart Deming Endowed Memorial Scholarship

Artist Website: www.sagelewis.net

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