Visiting artist Sabrina Small shared the 30-year evolution of her work in a slideshow talk to Spence’s art classes this winter.

Small, who recently had a solo show at The Mütter Museum in Philadelphia, has shown in galleries and museums across the United States and internationally. She gravitates toward drawings mostly, using charcoal, pastels, pencils and markers, but she has also worked with 3D art, water-based paints and embroidery. Her art fixates on “that sweet spot” between the beautiful and the grotesque. She also often draws from her personal life, her relationships and surroundings, paying attention to things that attract her and repulse her at the same time. Small described the work she makes as “visual diaries.”

 

In her 20s, Small bought a one-way ticket to Budapest, without knowing anyone or the language. She made a living as an artist and a teacher, but she felt isolated and depressed there, and these emotions manifested themselves in her art. Small said she often finds it hard to express herself verbally, so she uses art to explain what she’s thinking about; it’s a way for her to get out feelings of aggression, anger or envy, she said.

 

Small also spent time in Berlin, where she felt like she was straddling two worlds: her life in the United States and her life in Germany. She became interested in magic realism, and she created work that was inspired by her life in Germany and her travels around Europe.

 

“When I think about describing my work, it’s sort of like describing a dream,” she said. “At first, it’s really crisp and clear, but then as you start talking about it more, it starts to dissipate.”

 

Looking at the evolution of her portfolio, Small noticed that her art had shifted focus from other people to her relationship with herself and often her body.

 

Small also talked to the students about her artistic process, which she said starts with a general idea of what the piece will be about. She starts building the foundation and finds balance with color and background. Small told students that she likes to keep the viewer’s eye moving, not locked into one area, and when she makes a mistake, she tries to work it into the piece.

 

She also told students that she likes switching between mediums, depending on her mood. In her studio, she divides her time between her ink drawings, charcoal work and stitching.

 

“You don’t want to have the same conversation every day with the same person,” Small said. “You’d go crazy. With these pieces, it breaks up the monotony.”

 

The last piece that Small showed the students was “Mother and Me,” an ode to her mother, who passed away from breast cancer. She hand-stitched and hand-beaded the piece on gold vinyl—a process that took over two years.

 

“It was really important for me to have that time because it was sort of a mourning piece to deal with my mom’s passing,” Small said. “I didn’t really want the piece to end because I was holding on to her in some way. I think that’s why I chose a medium that was so time-consuming.”

One student asked Small how she handles artist block, and Small talked about feeling lost after her show ended at The Mütter Museum.

 

“But I just try to show up in the studio,” Small said. “Sometimes I make things that are just awful. … I spent a year making things that I don’t like and will never show, but you gotta get out of bed every day. I made this decision that I’m going to be an artist, so if I don’t make art, then what am I?”