‘He allowed himself to be swayed by his conviction that human beings are not born once and for all on the day their mothers give birth to them, but that life obliges them over and over again to give birth to themselves.’ - Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Love in the Time of Cholera)
Themself is a stunning collection of haunting portraiture by British artist Sarah Ball.
Born in 1965 in Yorkshire, Sarah now lives and works in west Cornwall. Her artistic practice is inspired by found source material, from newspapers to historical photographs and even mug shots of individuals and most recently selfies from social media. Her work has been exhibited internationally including The Royal Academy, Somerset House and The V&A.
Ball’s most recent solo show is currently on at Anima Mundi in the Cornish town of St Ives.
St Ives is famed for its connection to the creative arts, especially painting and although there are countless galleries and shops representing seascapes and more traditional Cornish art, for me it was very refreshing to come across a contemporary space like Anima Mundi. Sarah Ball’s fantastic works drew me in from across the street, the haunted eyes and expressions of her subjects made me want to know more. Painted in oil on either canvas or board, her technique is flawlessly smooth with muted backdrops to draw you into the subject. Ball’s muses for this sell out exhibition were from a selection of vintage photographs and here are some of my favourites.
‘Tim’, ‘Elise’ and ‘Izzy’
This incredible show is on now and runs until 6th September at Anima Mundi, Street an Pol, St Ives. TR26 2DS.
Or you can check out the exhibition online at sarah-ball.co.uk