Voyage Series

Artists

• Sorcha Meek

Statement

This work is the result of a year spent in Bordeaux, France with my husband and two children.
After discovering a huge stack of newspapers in our otherwise barren apartment, it seemed natural to buy some flour and water (symbolic of the baguette) and begin the process of creating the black and white STICKS. I wanted to create something out of nothing. I had no art supplies with me and was eager for the challenge of working with whatever happened to present itself. In many ways this idea was also the basis of our experience as a family. We arrived with very little, and it was up to us to create a life for ourselves. The sticks took on an anthropomorphic quality and became the subject matter for a series of photographs and paintings. The black and white palette represents a french aesthetic seen in theatre, fashion and design.
When we returned I wanted to connect the french sticks with my life in the Northwest. I worked with Master Craftsman, Kent Ezzell to create the wooden stick sculpture ‘Ensemble’ (which means ‘together’ in english) out of Douglas Fir.
THE TEA BAGS represent an increment of time. Sharing a cup of tea became a way of connecting with others. The tea bags were also a means of creating a sense of order. Adjusting to a new language and a new way of functioning in an unfamiliar society often felt chaotic. It was as though we had to start from the very beginning, learning our ABC’s.