Sara Conklin
Artist Statment
Sara Conklin’s newest series of paintings, “Abandoned Farm Series” explores the ideas of loneliness, secrecy and compassion. Conklin draws her inspiration from an abandoned farmhouse located near a busy highway in New York State that she has observed for over 15 years. The house, although composed of inanimate parts, has an intense, vibrant story. It contains within its fading façade the vivacity of the people who lived there in the past as well as reflecting the changing landscape of rural New York, from farm country to subdivisions and strip malls.
The abandoned house, now sad and lonely, resonates with a long history of life to share. Curiosity forces Conklin to wonder who lived there, what kind of lives they led and why this home has been abandoned. The house appears vulnerable, yearning for human protection. Through Conklin’s paintings and original prints, she has begun to preserve its existence and articulate the feelings invoked by experiencing the house. The house contains secrets, loss, sadness, joy, and other emotions that bind people together, strangers and families alike. Just like the body is the vessel for the soul, the house is a vessel for the lives within.
Someone’s at the Front Door
oil on canvas, 30″ x 24″, 2008
Please Go Around the Back
oil on canvas, 18″ x 24″, 2008
Where the Body is Buried
oil on canvas, 30″ x 24″, 2008
