Sarah Louise Henschel Object Maker
As a woman of the twenty-first century I am plagued by the notion of fitting into categories that were painstakingly cut out for me by my foremothers. With a love for all things delicately feminine as well as a penchant for "boy's" toys, I must carve my own niche. I draw inspiration in this sense from the housewife of the 1950s and my current bond to ecofeminism. As we reach the tipping point for both our economical and ecological structures, it is imperative that art take a stance and attempt to change the world. Nature is inherently ego-less and majestic, these characteristics are what make it so inspirational. As consumers of natural resources, we have a social responsibility to respect the Earth. In this same way, art has immense social responsibility; thus it is art's function to inform the future.
My subject matter and material choices vary from the very low-tech and time- honored to the innovative and fresh. It is in this use of varying materials and ideas that I consider myself an Object Maker. My objects take many forms ranging from the very small to large installations. The physical interaction I have with my materials manifests itself in fragile yet sturdy forms – such as integrating metal with handmade paper, or delicate natural structures with industrial porcelain.
In attempting both social and ecological balance, I find myself existing in the area between wonder and understanding. In my studio practice my interests reside in altering the every day life of my viewer and creating an awareness of place and environment. I create social and personal narratives to connect the ego of the human psyche to the lack of ego in the natural world. I ask questions of my viewer that may be unexpected and unanswerable.