Sharon Webster
See True, 2024
Pencil printed on sheer fabric, photo, gold fabric, voile edging, painted wood frame 25 in x 33 in x 3 in
"See True" explores the past and present through the eye of my mother (d. 2010) and my memories in an attempt to resurrect her true, if underappreciated at times, vision and insights. In the piece, I let her sight shine through the many lines and textures of a busy narrative. The drawing on transparent fabric tells the story of a difficult threshold in my young life. My mother stood at the bottom of my staircase and said calmly, “There is a place for you.” The shimmer of gold fabric behind the scene is meant to suggest the ephemeral quality of life’s teachings and emotional pull. It glows in attempt to signal that some mysterious and important message is being passed from one generation to the next. The hanging fabric is mounted on a white, painted wood structure for stability.
Sharon Webster
Handed Down, 2020
My mother's driving gloves, colored cords, threads, ribbon, rope, painted board. 13 in x 48 in x 2 in
Pouring / pulling / reaching/ designing using hands and their coverings are some of the things this mixed media piece reaches for.
Sharon Webster
My Stitched Spine, 2020
laminated x-ray, cords, threads on painted wood 18 in x 31 in
My Stitched Spine is a meditation on both the vulnerability and the durability of the human body. In it, I go through a transition from perceived weakness – to a place of strength. The piece is one of seven altered x-rays that addresses various joint deterioration and pain. Looking at my x-rays, I found much healthy engineering that was organic and fascinating, along with the abnormalities. Through the slow process of making My Stitched Spine, I imagined healing and agency. The curved column of bones became a totem of strength. My hope is that it is a metaphor for many kinds of transitions and transformation. sharonwebster.com 802 503.5534
Sharon Webster
My Stitched Left Hand, 2020
laminated x-ray, red thread, painted wood 15 in x 20 in
In my collection of stitched x-rays, I use sewing as a super power, healing meditation and exploration. These studies are a reflection on the vulnerability of the body – and likewise on the human condition. When I was diagnosed with severe arthritis, I was curious to see what was going on in my body underneath the skin. What I found was organic and beautiful, in spite of deformities. The erosion of the bones was visible, but much healthy engineering was there, too. Through the process of making these works, the curved, deteriorated spine became a totem of strength. To see more of Sharon’s work, explore her website, www.sharonwebster.com
Sharon Webster
Book Catchers, 2016
wooden rackets, cheesecloth, handmade books, paint Each catcher is 26 in long. The hoops are 9 in x 6 in.
How do we capture the passing days? Our stories are on the move, made more of air than ink. Books are wings in flight. But the way we hold them is porous. They’re ours for a little while. These temporarily captured mini-books are the stories we seek.
Sharon Webster
My Stitched Foot, 2019
laminated x-ray, red thread, painted wood 15 in x 20 in
This piece addresses my misshapen foot and imperfections. Stitching can be a way to touch and heal what’s broken, like a spider unspooling silk from its stomach and catching on a way forward – a zig-zag is a good way to proceed.
Sharon Webster
TOM BOX, 2016
hand built cedar box, paper strips s of handwritten letter, photos, twine 12 in x 17 in x 7 in
TOM BOX is inspired by my first love, Tommy Moon. His last name reflects his Native American heritage. From early high school until I left a small town in Kentucky for college, I loved this young man for his sensitive nature, his smooth caramel skin and his eyes like honeycomb. Tommy was equal parts tough and vulnerable. (He chopped his motorcycle, but puked out the car door if we had a fight.) I chose cedar for the piece because of the smell of his bedroom where we'd listen to “The Doors” sing Riders On the Storm. He wrote me long letters (as seen in this piece) when I moved up north, where he poured out his feelings and news of daily life. Reading his letters now, so much comes through between the lines. His soul and sadness. His tenderness. The loneliness of a life lived with few resources, opportunities or support. Tommy had run-ins with the law; he was a misfit. This beautiful, rebellious man came to symbolize the hardships and limitations that I was able – through random luck & a bit of privilege – to move beyond..
Sharon Webster
UP CLOSE AT A DISTANCE, 2015
Painted wood, twine, transparent blouse, colored photo of handwritten script 21 in x 42 in x 7 in.
The red window frame holds the shape of protection and intimacy. It is a frame to view and commune with a loved one who has passed on. I use it to create order from chaos and act as a lens through which to conjure and dream. A transparent blouse allows for seeing past the surface. My mom’s handwritten script, “Much,” from her typical sign-off, “Much Love” is hung upside down so it can be read from heaven. I shortened it to “Much” because one meaning was not enough. Memory is enlarged and sewn in blue thread across the window frame.
Sharon Webster
Loom, Womb Recollection Project, 2010
wooden clothes dryer, black walnuts, twine 25 in x 37 in x 30 in
The Womb Recollection Project was a realignment project after a hysterectomy and subsequent injury during recovery. I collected bucketfulls of black walnuts from the neighborhood where I lived and worked because of their striking likeness to wombs. It was physical reclaiming of what was lost. The project had many pieces that were part of a small solo show. This particular piece suggests weaving as well as presenting the wombs in a suspended (or sutured) way. The strings act as compositional lines that move and join the piece. It was popular with kids who loved interacting with it.
Sharon Webster
THE FEEL OF IT, 2015
plaster, foil letters, painted wood 6 in x 8 in x 11 in
As someone who writes poems as well as making visual art, the colored letters in this piece are similar to 'seeds' in the way that they represent what is possible. They glitter with enchantment + promise. The plaster hand that reaches for them is restricted by physical limitation but is still entranced.
