Incorporating elements of painting and collage, Sarah Esposito abstracts systematic occurrences and interruptions found in the landscape through her personal relationship with the natural world. By marrying these abstracted shapes together using linen and plywood, Esposito composes organic-formed canvases that are as breathtaking and new as they are familiar. Join KINK Contemporary as they celebrate the opening of Sarah Esposito’s first solo exhibition, Into the Syncline, from 5 pm to 9 pm EST on Saturday, February 18th, 2023, at KINK headquarters (15515 Waterloo Road, Cleveland, Ohio 44110).

When deciding on the title, Into the Syncline, Esposito wanted to choose something that felt the most relevant to how her work is currently evolving. The definition of a syncline is a downward fold in the earth’s crust, whereas the anticline is the inverse. She became fascinated by the folds in the earth when observing the many layers that make up the mountains, protruding islands from lakes, and many other natural occurrences in the landscapes she has experienced throughout her life. By examining these phenomena recently in Colorado and other parks more regionally, these experiences significantly influence her most recent body of work. The intricate intersections that impact and bend the layers of the earth, expressing graduation of color and shape with directional force, contribute to how she approaches her painting process.

This exhibition is organized by KINK Contemporary.

 MEET THE ARTIST

“Raised in the Appalachian Mountains, being outdoors and experiencing the landscape drove my artistic practice. From traditional painting en plein air, I began to document, through watercolor paintings and sketching, moments in the landscape that I found curious while also familiar. I always found a sense of comfort while painting the landscape representationally, like being in the presence of someone that makes you feel safe and who knows you completely.”

-Sarah Esposito

Sarah Esposito

Incorporating elements of Painting, and Collage Sarah Esposito abstracts systematic occurrences and interruptions found in landscape through her personal relationship with the natural world. Location, while not being recognizable in Esposito’s paintings themselves, has a significant impact on how her work has evolved.

Esposito currently lives and works in Cleveland, Ohio. She is also an Adjunct Instructor at both Kent State University and Ashland University, teaching Introductory Level Art Appreciation, Drawing, 2D, and 3D courses. Esposito received her BA in Studio Art from Fairmont State University in 2020 and her MFA from Kent State University in 2022.

“My artistic practice calls upon my own experience of being in an outdoor space, looking, journaling, and gathering information from different vantage points to contrast the harmony and tension in the landscape. In my research, I consider how gravity, plate shifts, and weather formed how I perceive and maneuver through the land. I am interested in the shapes of the land that derive from elements in the landscape and how they interact with each other. I am interpreting the shifts in scale within the shapes in the landscape and acknowledging what natural occurrence may have happened.”

-Sarah Esposito