b. 1971
American
Born: Pittsfield, Mass., U.S.
Sarah Paul is a cross disciplinary artist and educator whose work focuses on the intersection of popular culture, fine art, and social action. She was born in Pittsfield, Mass. and pursued a BS in Mathematics from the University at Albany and an MFA in Visual Studies from the University at Buffalo.She is an assistant professor at the Cleveland Institute of Art in the T.I.M.E. Digital Arts Department. Paul has written and performed theatrical music pieceswith both pop and experimental bands since 1989. Her visual and video work has been presented nationally and internationally at venues including the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, the Sculpture Center, and the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art.
In an artist's statement, Paul writes:
"I strive to balance sociopolitical content with compelling visual structure. I am intrigued by the blurring of boundaries, both tangible and conceptual, and employ any discourse needed to fully realize my inquiries. In my installations and performances, I integrate video and sound with large-scale physical structures and spaces. Screens play a significant role, establishing a threshold to a bewildering and sometimes overwhelming experience. I often use my Amazonian female body and voice to incorporate pop vocal melody and theatrical spectacle.
"Most of my work derives from an outrageous narrative I've concocted in order to explore a marginalized subject. I am always rooting for the underdog. In the past I have supported such underdogs as fat ladies, genderqueers, and the mentally ill. At the moment, my underdog is Cleveland. Situated on Lake Erie, I am responding to and negotiating with the post-post-industrial landscape around me. I am mesmerized by the flaming smokestacks of the ArcelorMittal Steel Mill, and have been videotaping the stacks from my window for two years. Experiments with this video documentation have spawned Little Miss Cleveland & the Flaming Sunset, a collection of work exploring the story of a scandalous beauty queen and her seduction of the flaming smokestacks, Lake Erie, and the city of Cleveland. These works manifest themselves in many forms and are intended to embrace and celebrate the cities of the Rust Belt." [1]
For more information on Sarah Paul, visit http://www.sarahpaul.org/
[1] Sarah Paul, "Artist Statement/Bio," at http://www.sarahpaul.org/about.html. (Accessed 07/05/2103.)