BFA Graduating Artist Sammantha Marie Sanchez

Sammantha Marie – Artist Statement: The daily pressures of life and added stressors of adulthood are powerful forces and I attempt to provide an escape for the viewer and myself through my material choices. Using a variety of materials such as glitter, pipe cleaners, found small toys and nostalgic collections, I am compelled to explore complex subjects with a result that is both whimsical and disarming. By using art supplies that are reminiscent of childhood and using colors such as hot pinks and neon oranges. I want to bring viewers back into the mindset of innocence. Innocence is temporary and fleeting, but my work allows me to create something symbolically permanent that captures the easily forgotten innocence. Congested compositions, explosions of color, and various collections are often elements in my studio practice. Some common themes in my work are the loss ·of innocence, attraction and repulsion, love, prescribed beauty, and even my own personal struggle with dyslexia. I pull imagery and iconography from my personal experiences in order to more intuitively explore these topics.