Sarah Amos is a master printmaker who defies the traditions of printmaking; instead, she explores the opulent hand and texture of textiles. Drawing on the influence of Japanese prints, architecture, and the graphic symbolism and movement of manga, Amos has developed a body of work that pushes printmaking into a richer, more expansive terrain. Her process begins with sketches in a sketchbook, which she develops into 16 × 20 inch gouache drawings on paper, typically made in groups of six, allowing forms, colors, and patterns to evolve in conversation with one another. From the 50 to 60 drawings she produces each year, only a small number are translated into large-scale textiles, each selected for its resonance and ability to hold the weight of that transformation.
The final iteration is a unique mixed media hybrid textile ‘painting’, requiring a one-thousand-pound press. Amos drives acrylic ink deep into the tooth of the material surface, creating a soft, velvety ground that she layers with yarn and stitching. In these hybrid works, thread does not simply sit on top of the printed image; it extends and activates it, intensifying the relationship between color, background, surface, and sculptural form. With more than 30 years of experience in printmaking, she’s developed a multivariant approach that brings together an understanding of fine art printing, stitching, appliqué, and collage in singular compositions that are at once unconventional, tactile, and painterly.
Artist Conversation:
Saturday, April 11, 2pm
Artists Julia Couzens and Sarah Amos
Please RSVP for seating!
Opening Reception:
Saturday, April 11, 3–5:30pm
Gallery Hours:
Tuesday - Saturday
11am – 6pm