Sarah Haskell | Maine Arts Fellowship - York, Maine

Artist Statement

The Buddhist concept of impermanence is at the core of my work. Exploring the parallels between the impermanence of my organic textile materials and our human bodies, I treat my hand woven linens to rust dyeing, weathering, bleach and compost dyeing. 

These transformative and dye processes allow me to be a witness in the process of metamorphosis – and challenge my attachment to what I once deemed precious. After the handwoven linen has been weathered and dyed, I embellish it with hand stitching to add details to the imagery and story. 

Birds are my subtle nod to letting go, flowing with change as well as being a witness to the beauty of nature.  I long to tether myself to a hawk, yearning to see things from a larger perspective, to gain insight on our divided, pandemic world.

Although I am trained as a fine textile maker, my work has always been more poetic then practical, finding beauty in the imperfection of hand dyed and woven linen. Thread by thread I seek to make visible the known and unknown, the concrete and the mysterious. 

My website is where you can find my portfolio.

www.sarahhaskell.com

With the receipt of the Maine Arts Commission Fellowship I plan to upgrade my dye lab. Currently I use a sink in the corner of my basement or a hose outside in the summer.  I plan to install work lights, ventilation and works surfaces for handling the dyes and other processes I use to treat my linens. I am honored l to receive this acknowledgment and hope that with this award comes more visibility and a wider audience for my work.