When selecting and reaching out to the various artists, I want to include in my Artist To Love blog series, there is always a personal reaction and appeal with that particular artist. Sarah Dupre creates works of art that feel like there is something alive within each canvas. Whether it be the aura-like detail lingering on the edge of a supersaturated mark or the way everything is layered together… I’m not entirely sure what causes each piece to feel like this. You will have to get to know her process and what she wishes to contribute to the art world; maybe you can see what I described by checking out the three works of art included. And, of course, follow her socials linked at the bottom of the page.
Who are you, and what do you do?
Sarah Dupré is an abstract artist who grew up in South Central Louisiana and moved to Illinois in 2015. She is an adjunct professor at McHenry County College and Elgin Community College, where she teaches painting, drawing, and art appreciation. Dupré received her BFA from McNeese State University, Lake Charles, Louisiana (2015) and her MFA from Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois (2018). Using tar, charcoal, oils, and enamel, Sarah’s practice explores the relationship between drawing and painting. Dupré’s work was most recently exhibited in group shows at Joseph A. Cain Memorial Art Gallery, Del Mar College, Corpus Christi, Texas, and Ashton Gallery, San Diego, California. New American Paintings Online Exhibition, and a two-person exhibition at Cleaner Gallery + Projects, Chicago, Illinois.
What style of art or artist do you most identify with?
I can’t help but identify with the Abstract Expressionists. I don’t necessarily identify with portraying individualistic emotions, but I do feel compelled not to approach, but almost attack, the surface ahead of me. To utilize my complete physical body to create gestures that isolate specific moments in space. On the other hand, I also identified with a quote I once heard the painter Michael K. Paxton say, “painting is part panic and part purpose.” This quote is one that sums up my practice and, dare I say it, my life.
What do you dislike and like about the art world?
Oof Sam, that’s a loaded question because there is the art world, and then there is the (angels open the skies while singing sacred songs in a Robin Leach voice) capital A-R-T World.
I don’t have or know anyone with thousands of dollars to spend on art, nor do I know anyone who can flip a painting at auction and inflate a piece’s value.
So, let’s talk about my art world, which is more of a large circle of devoted academics, curators, collectors, writers, and a sprinkle of dudes who I still skateboard on an occasional basis. This world is a sanctuary; in the best sense, it comprises people who cherish the humanities. Yet even my art world shares common ground with the ART WORLD- transparency.
Wait, should that be my answer!? Admittedly, the lack of transparency is what I was wooed by in the first place! Hello! I love the abstract world where anything goes! At one point in time, the white cube gallery had, still has, the sort of romance that I just had to experience- at least once! Who were these people who knew cooler dressed people and could drink more wine than most yet still managed to articulate their words better than I!? Also, how did that artist get to show here, and who paid for their work? This impenetrable veil was alluring, something that I always wanted to know more of but something that always felt unapproachable. If you don’t know how to navigate the waters, it can tear and wear at your naive soul! This “charm” is a double-edged sword. It can lure eager artists in, but it can also keep the general public out of accessible range. I meet a ton of people, mostly incoming first-year students, who consider art pretentious, and in reality, it sure as hell can be! We cannot forget that art is a business, and as cliché as it is to say- there are assholes in every industry. The good news is that the charm, at least for me, is still there- probably always will be.
And social networking, like literally being on social media, can be a cool thing. For example, the Art History Babes and other historians like Katy Hessel have opened the door to approaching gallery spaces in an illuminating way, educating and preserving the joy and enthusiasm that got me into art and its history in the first place.
Now, if I want to research ways to write proposals, see who is even accepting submissions, or just see who is doing what, I don’t need to go to a library or find some art mentor- I can just listen, read, and Instagram lurk (for research purposes) from the comfort of my studio in sweat pants. Of course, there is still a lack of transparency for those who find romance in mystique and value secret spaces, but I find that the art, artists, gallery openings, and the cannon of art history now have more access points than ever before. This, when fostered, leads to more discussions and understanding! – Look at art being all democratic even with all of its tainted history.
What is your dream project?
A dream project for me would be free from micromanagement, an encouraging environment, and a relentless work ethic. Am I now describing a “dream team” to work with?
What is an artistic outlook on life?
I believe that if one can see, or at least try to see and understand multiple perspectives at once, then one has the opportunity to live an “artistic life.” I say opportunity because this lifestyle is a practice. To have an “artistic life”, one must be relentless in keeping an open perspective.
Give her a follow! >>> Insta