Sandra Brewster
Lullaby of Birdland
November 9 – January 7, 2024
Artpace, San Antonio, TX
Sandra Brewster exhibits a new body of work created during her artist residency at Artpace, San Antonio, TX.
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Sandra Brewster joins people and places in her Artpace exhibition, Lullaby of Birdland. Leaning along the gallery walls, you’ll find five distinct panels, four of which showcase a person Sandra encountered while walking around San Antonio. These striking images have been meticulously transferred onto wooden panels using gel transfers, leaving behind the visible borders of each paper and the intentional placement required to construct the larger image. Brewster skillfully captures these individuals in the midst of everyday activities: strolling, conversing, and simply embracing the city in an unscripted and authentic way.
The photo-based gel transfer technique imparts an antique photographic quality to each panel, marked by sporadic splotches and subtle creases reminiscent of aged photographs. The sepia tonality throughout the exhibit references history and memory. Notably, the far panel, distinguished by its absence of a human figure, showcases the terrain in Eagle Pass, the home of the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas. The significance of this inclusion lives in the historical depth of the land, inviting contemplation about the countless individuals who once walked this very soil. It reminds us that we all contribute to the ongoing tapestry of history: the people navigating the streets of downtown San Antonio, the Kickapoo community in Eagle Pass, and all those who preceded us. In this collective memory, we are united, present, writing our unique stories into the chapters of time…
Read the full exhibition text here : https://artpace.org/exhibitions/luklaby-of-birdland/
Image credit: Artpace, San Antonio