Sara J Beazley: That was then

New works on paper by Sara J Beazley for her second solo exhibition at jaggedart.

After her solo show in 2007, Sara moved to Hong Kong where she lived and worked for two years. The city and culture was the inspiration for this body of work as she soaked up the atmosphere, the scale and the architecture of this vibrant metropolis. In her quest to discover the city Sara researched archival photographs of colonial Hong Kong. She also came across memorabilia, old stamps, cigarette cards, fabrics, postcards, travel tickets and luggage tags amongst others. All of these find their way into her works through silkscreen printing, etching, relief and embossing. The results are multilayered works that are exquisite, bold yet feminine at the same time and evocative of a by gone era.

This theme is carried through to her most recent works. These are inspired by vintage postcards and fabrics found in her favourite Parisian flea market of the interiors and facade of Versailles.

These works see the introduction of painterly brushstrokes in Sara's unique colour combinations that free up the compositions leaving her personal mark, thus giving them a fresh and contemporary aesthetic. Sara was also influenced by Robert Rauschenberg's early photo transfers and his references to popular culture.