Sara Catapano

Artist Statement

The relationship between the natural world and the metropolis of man is, at times, harmonious, however, more often than not, a power struggle strained for dominance and existence. I employ forms, textures, and compositions found in nature as design elements in my sculptures to juxtapose against man made components that exist in materials reminiscent of such. I fuse an abstracted reference to plants, bacteria, and geological systems with patterns of growth, decay, degradation, erosion, and gestation to create a biomorphic element to both confront and react to a minimal and formalistic component of humankind’s influence. I imagine that I am retrofitting natural patterns with modern arrangements to design the form and surface. My ambiguous forms discuss the complexities of organic life within the imagined environment they are created for; in some cases works bring to life an imagined hybrid of micro/macro organisms with geological and biological flora and fauna from land and sea. In the realization that I am both a collector and creator of oddities, I reference the collections in pre 20th century curio cabinets. My abstract, organic forms stand in as the objectified entities of nature. Pillowed plinth and steel structures holding the form in place comment on the malignant tradition of proudly displaying organisms as decoration and trophy.

-- Sara Catapano

Bio

Sara Catapano was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri where she then moved to North Carolina to attend college and graduated in 2012 with her BFA from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She attended the University of Miami for two years in pursuit of her MFA before transferring in 2015 to Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, where she is now in her final semester of her MFA in Ceramics, expecting to graduate in May of 2018. She has studied abroad at the University of Sydney College of Art, exhibited nationally in Juried exhibitions, is represented by BoxHeart Gallery in Pittsburgh, PA and was recently a featured artist on Hi-Fructose Magazine online.