A:LIST A Project of the Hyde Park Art Center

Sarah Kaiser

Artist Information

Born: 1974, Covington, Kentucky
Currently Resides: Chicago, IL

Contact Information:
sarah.kaiser919 (at) gmail (dot) com

Medium(s) Worked in:
Painting
photography
printmaking (etching and lithography)
drawing
mixed media
architectural models (3D)

Artist CV:
Download file

Available for Commission: Yes

HPAC Exhibitions

2008, “Faster, Cheaper, Bolder” Silkscreen Exhibit
2007 “Constellations,” Faculty Exhibition
2006, Just Good Art
2005, Just Good Art
2004, Just Good Art

Artist Statement

When I create an image, I concoct narratives that stem from past events. Some of the events were rather traumatic, and I process them within the genre of comic books. In my journal, I record and collect fragments of notable dialogues I have had with others. I then appropriate and embellish frames from old Western comic books . I alter the word and thought bubbles to convey the significant events of my life. Basically, short sequences I depict bear a sense of dry humour and provide me with comic relief.

I embarked upon my most personal and mature work about 5 years ago, when I found about 200 of my uncle’s old comic books in my 82 year-old-grandmother’s garage in Southern Kentucky.

Short sequences I depict bear a sense of dry humour and provide me with comic relief.

The comic books I found are from a bygone era; specifically, they were published between 1945—1970. Consequently, I can analyze them objectively since I was born in 1974, and grew up outside of that space and time. I wonder why all of the women are submissive and have impossible proportions, and the men always rescue the damsels in distress. Also, since they were predominately written by white males, the stories lack African American characters, and acquiesce to the desires of the white male gaze.

I’m drawn to the mannered gestures and costumes found in old Westerns. Sometimes, I copy the characters free hand, and other times, I just trace characters from a particular frame onto graph paper and then enlarge them. Occasionally, I will collage bits of the actual comic strip into the paintings, but mainly, I just alter the captions to reflect a recent episode in my life. In essence, the process transforms an otherwise odd or stressful event into something funny…or dare I say, even corny.

For me, comic relief often takes the form of a bumbling, wisecracking sidekick of the hero or villain in a work of fiction. The sidekicks in my work usually comment on the absurdity of the hero’s situation and make comments that are sometimes inappropriate for a character who is to be otherwise taken seriously.

My work is composed of pictures cut out from a narrative sequence. A single image becomes an icon, and the formerly irrelevant words in the speech bubbles are elevated to aphorisms. speech bubbles are filled with handwritten condensations of conversations. Like a diary, moments of my life appear in the work.

Appropriating such imagery is a cathartic release of emotional tension that may have resulted from a comic episode interposed in the midst of dramatic events… Inspired by Woody Allen, events from my everyday experience become fodder for the narratives I construct. At times, I use poetic license and stretch the truth in my narratives.

Artist Bio

Before attending the University of Chicago, I defined myself, first and foremost, as an artist. As the child of a single mom who worked long hours and traveled quite frequently, I grew up playing with construction paper, drawing pictures of my dog, making little dresses for my cat to wear, and playing with my imaginary friends. For me, creating work has always filled the quiet spaces of my life with refreshing time to explore, and as I have grown older, it has become an intensely private endeavor.

During my teenage years, I produced the breadth of my artwork in my basement, where I sketched images of my family that I found in the old albums that my grandma gave us. I obsessively worked because I did not know what else to do with myself, as I lived on a big dry patch of land in Kentucky. There were no neighborhood kids nearby to play with. Now, when I look back on such moments, I’m convinced that there was something magical about spending time during my formative years in that manner, while my peers were being rushed around to cheerleading, piano, and ballet practice.

Now I can appreciate the subtle joys of being bored. In fact, I think all kids need ample unscheduled time to fully discover who they really are (without their parents running the show.)

I’m somewhat all grown up now, but I still make and exhibit art. I remember when my family members kept hoping that somehow I’d grow out of this “phase,” but I never did. Actually, I tried pretty hard not to be an artist. Sure, I’ve tried on different hats, like office worker, social worker, camp counselor, teacher, and the like. Although I have enjoyed helping other people by assuming such roles, I’ll always come back to my studio, which, like the musty old basement in Kentucky, serves as a place where I find peace and predictability. When I’m overwhelmed by the disorder of the world, I retreat to this “safe place” where I’m in control; where I create my own order. Now when I copy the lines of a faint smile or run my eyes across the folds, shapes, patterns of light an old curtain, I am able to obtain some degree of intimacy with my place in the grand scheme of things.

I began to realize the degree to which a person’s reception and production of art is conditioned by the surrounding social circumstances.

As a student of the University of Chicago, I continued to explore the elusive possibility of intimacy offered by art. I enjoy investigating the means by which people address and interact with the unknown and/or incomprehensible. I hope to further develop my capacity to write about my own imaginings and apply theory to artwork. Specifically, I have been writing about local art exhibits on the Chicago Examiner (http://www.examiner.com/x-6388-Chicago-Contemporary-Art-Examiner)
During my first year at Midway Studios, I began to realize the degree to which a person’s reception and production of art is conditioned by the surrounding social circumstances. The institution’s critique process, and the opportunities to show my work, afforded me the opportunity to bring my private work into the public and hear others vocalize their reactions. Such an opportunity was quite scary (and painful), but I my curiosity eventually transcended my initial fears. During my second year there, I got braver and eventually got over feeling like I was “naked” or like I was letting strangers read my diary. In a sense, I realized that I had a gift to share with others, and that I should no longer be afraid of being my authentic self.

To sum it all up, even with the good and the bad, along with the highs and the lows, I am still glad that I never “grew out of” that “artist” phase….

Past Commissions

Past commissions include:

Teaching Experience

2006 to Present, 2D Fundamentals, The American Academy of Art
2002 to Present, Figure Drawing; Beginning Drawing; Ceramics, The Hyde Park Art Center
2006 to Present, Figure Drawing and Painting, The Lill Street Art Center (Ravenswood)
2004—2006, Art 131 & Humanities 201, Harold Washington College
2006, Art History, Harper College

Hyde Park Art Center Courses:

Exploring Symmetry
Students learn to understand symmetry by using mirrors. They will develop their shape
vocabulary and writing skills by recognizing symmetrical forms: the letters A, I, O, X,
hearts, butterflies, etc.
Sample Curriculum

Additional Information