We were lucky to catch up with Sara Rosenthal recently and have shared our conversation below.
Sara, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
Creative fires can’t blaze all the time, so when inevitable periods of stagnation come, it is so helpful to remember that I’m not creating in a vacuum. Sometimes this looks like taking a break to go for a walk, being very present with the sights and sounds around me. Sometimes this looks like researching the work of other artists- online, in a book, in a museum. Sometimes it means browsing the latest gallery offerings, taking notes and making sketches in my notebook, attuned to the moment when an unexpected something catches me off guard, sparking new ideas. I nourish my creativity by showing up to do the work, by engaging in meaningful (and playful, and absurd!) conversations with loved ones, by extending myself to try new skills. Something as simple as experimenting with a new recipe in the kitchen- which seems to be totally unrelated to my studio practice- can help to open up that creative flow. And rest helps. Rest is always good, making space for that.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am an emerging multidisciplinary artist whose work has been exhibited internationally. I create colorful, expressive, textural works that evoke micro and macroscopic processes of wild transformation through painting, weaving, research, writing, film-making, installation, collaboration, and performance. I love to imbue my work with playful/queer mythic qualities in both material and content, and welcome the mystical realness that comes through in my creative process.
This year, my focus is towards creating and exhibiting soft sculpture installations inspired by the microbiome, as well as selling more work from my portfolio of abstract paintings.
More about me: I graduated with a BA in Fine Arts from UC Santa Cruz and an MA in Performance, Design, and Practice from Central Saint Martins in London and have studied at HISA on Paros Island, Greece, and at the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem. I have also lived and worked in Spain, where my research on the art of flamenco culminated in lectures at UCLA and the annual Kristeva Circle Conference. I have been artist in residence at SNETHA in Athens, Greece; Can Serrat in Catalunya; Carousel Institute of the Arts in Poolsbrook, UK; Inteatro in Polverigi, Italy; and Arts Letters & Numbers in New York. In 2020 I was awarded an emerging artist fellowship through The Braid, Los Angeles, performed at the Jerusalem Biennale, and presented “Vegetal Flesh”, a solo exhibit at 2/3 Project Space in Athens, Greece.
I am a founding member of LAC (Lady Art Collective). In August 2023 I presented a multimedia solo exhibition at Desvio in Lisbon, Portugal, inspired by the ruins of Pompeii. Available works from that exhibition are for sale and can be found on my website: saratrueart.com.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Learning to take the time to do things right is important across all aspects of my studio practice, and is definitely wisdom I would share with young creatives. In painting and weaving, the process is so drastically different when I feel I’m rushing versus when I acknowledge that tasks take the time they take- warping the loom, mixing paint, making initial sketches before starting the work. I don’t always follow my own advice here but when I do it makes all the difference. A second thing to note would be learning when and how to delegate. There is a tricky balance to be struck between opting to do things myself (which might require skills I don’t feel confident in, such as woodworking) and delegating tasks to accomplished colleagues or professionals to ensure that they are done right. No artist is an island! And finally, treating the business side of my art career as what it is- a business. The line between creative passion and commerce can be tricky to navigate, but acknowledging that what you do is a professional career helps establish safe boundaries. For example, a friend once bought a painting from me- when it came time for me to quote her a price, I was hesitant, offering her a friend discount. She is also a small business owner and entrepreneur, and she refused the lower price. Why should I pay any less just because I’m your friend? she asked. It was such helpful, meaningful advice. I keep that in mind now whenever I discuss sales terms with friends or family.
What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
I want my work to be exhibited in museums- that is my ultimate goal. Sussing out the best route to that aim can at times be circuitous and murky. Currently, I am pursuing more exhibition opportunities, particularly in group shows, since those contexts open space for more conversation and collective engagement- creating opportunities for vital art connections. Currently I split my time among various places, with my most frequent home base of the moment as Lisbon, Portugal. So figuring out ways to stay engaged with the local LA art scene, stay plugged into the broader US art world, and stay focused on my ultimate museum goal, is also a challenging puzzle, especially when you add in the studio factor. If my studio is in Portugal, then that’s where my most recent work will live. So how do I navigate shipping/ exhibiting/ making/ establishing connections? My current solution is to spend dedicated periods of time focused on one aspect of art career development, while always tending to the other elements. So, for example, during an extended stay in California, my primary focus becomes engaging with the local art scene, while still making notes and small movements into new creations, and keeping tabs on other opportunities to apply for in the near future.
Contact Info:
- Website: saratrueart.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/saratrueart
- Facebook: facebook.com/saratrueart
Image Credits
M R Webber
