Sara is, first and foremost, a talented painter. And I suspect she's always been something of a wild child. She's younger than I am, and I wonder what life would be like were I responsible for her. Mostly I'd be proud of her artistry and intellect, her character, in her forthrightness and love for adventure. What was left of me would be in a constant but mild state of anxiety over what she might cause to happen next.
Taking portraits of Sara is looking at who she is right now. There's no concern about where the images might fit in with what we've done before, or about what they mean. Instead it's a chance for her to see more parts of who she is, and for me to figure out how best to show them. What we create is a document of a specific moment in her life that she uses to talk to herself about herself. She uses the images in her artwork, and she uses them to inform her conduct -- and she uses them with clarity and style.
What I love about Sara is her fearless curiosity about who she is, and the way that curiosity allows her to be pretty much anything she wishes. In these most recent photographs she's alive with the exuberance of having cast off what's expected and with the embracing of what is not. She's alive to what happens when she frees herself, and alive to being excited, concerned, intrigued and beguiled.
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Sara's art can be seen at www.sitekreator.com/artistinwonderland.
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And, of course, all the words and images here belong to me -- Richard A. Chase -- and may not be copied or reproduced in any way without my written permission.
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