Lawrence University
Student Art Exhibition Purchase Award

Artist: Sarah I. Bowen
Title: Popped, Ceramic, acrylic, epoxy, nails
Date: 2001

About the artist and the work:
Popped by Sarah Bowen, Class of 2001, received the second Senior Art Exhibition Purchase Award. This sculpture is a playful yet meticulously crafted rendition of popcorn. Installed on the wall, the oversized kernels invite the viewer to re-examine an everyday object within a new context. The artwork's geometric layout and simplicity in design is indicative of Minimalism. The popcorn's complex forms as well as the slight expansion in scale, however, creates an absurd heightened realism suggestive of contemporary culture. Popped promotes both a visceral as well as a more tentative response from the viewer, calling into question the validity of the object as art. Even so, the earnest beauty of the piece auspiciously rejects an effortless dismissal of the work. The handcrafted forms along with the delicately painted surface blend the practices of painting, ceramics, and sculpture into freshly cohesive artwork.

Sarah Bowen grew up Ripon, Wisconsin. She lived on the West Coast for two years before attending Lawrence University. Graduating with a major in Studio Art, Popped is an example of Sarah's interest in multimedia art forms. Her close instruction at Lawrence with Helen Klebesadel, Kasarian Dane, Amy Hauber and Yumi Roth fostered her investigation into art as well as the role of the present day artist. Sarah also received a 2001 Elizabeth Richardson Art Award for her "dedication and commitment" to Studio Art.