Interview with 2023 May Feature Artist Sara Young

Our 2023 Feature Artist at Market Street is Sara Young! Sara’s current artwork has a focus on the elements of the Northeast Coast translated by different methods of creating art utilizing materials from nature. She kindly took the time to discuss her creative process, artistic techniques, and opening night with us. If you haven’t had the chance, go check out her work on view for the Month!

Sara will be giving an artist talk at 4 Market Street on May 25th.

Do you have a first memory of creating art? What drew you into the arts initially?

I have always been creative. When I was little, I would draw and paint a lot. I often collected candy wrappers to collage with!  My earliest memory of making art was using Dums Dums Lollipop wrappers and pictures of Andy Warhol’s artwork that I had printed and cut out, and I collaged them into a frame that we had at home. The colorful prints of the candy wrappers and images of other brightly colored foods that Warhol had printed were so visually pleasing to me, and I believe that’s what feeds my love for saturated pallets now. 

At the opening, you discussed a technique that utilizes materials from nature and organisms from the sea to create gorgeous printed patterns (like your piece that incorporates the lobster prints!). Can you refresh our memory as to what this technique is called and elaborate for us a bit more about it?

The technique I use for the Fish prints is called Gyotaku. It is a Japanese artform where do you use the real fish as the matrix to create the image/print off of. That particular print was made with one lobster printed about eighteen times. On May 25th I’ll be giving a more in-depth artist talk about the Gyotaku fish printing if anyone is looking to hear more about the process! 

How was your opening night and do you have any takeaways from the experience that you'd like to share with us?

Opening night was fantastic! I got to meet the other featured artists and talk art with so many great folks! My takeaway is that although I have a wide breath of work, I see a little more each day how my work is still a reflection of me and where I am at emotionally and mentally. When I look at the wall at 4 Market Street, I see growth, hope, and hard work. 

What ideas or concepts do you hope to explore next?

Next, I want to focus on how I can further reflect myself in my work, and most likely try to use sculpture as the medium.