"In-between" spaces of the psyche - Sarasota Herald-Tribune - by Kevin Costello - February 21, 2008
Sabrina Small will be showing new work at Greene Contemporary from February 9th through March 1, 2008. There will be an opening reception on Friday February 8 from 6 to 9 pm. The exhibition will continue through Saturday March 1.
There is something surreal about the work of Sabrina Small. The protagonists of her narrative compositions are usually young women. They have a definite focus or committed intention that reveals itself over time and patient observation. Some aspects of their posture or composure cannot always be recognized and remains in a nether zone of comprehension. The women seem to be on journeys or in transit literally and emotionally. Sometimes they linger in a suspended languor or dreamlike state. Often many activities are happening simultaneously. The physical fabric of Small's work can be layered with numerous plots and sub-plots mirroring parallel universes.
The mood of her figures can be emphatic and mysterious. Her creatures occupy their place in each narrative and yet their purpose and mission is not always transparent or self evident. Her women portray a duality of confidence and vulnerability. Their dilemma or challenge elicits our empathy. We are compelled to be engaged and concerned with them. As an artist Small would rather draw than paint. She is inspired by literature, film, music and those in her life. While focused on forms and figures she always has in mind the entire composition. She uses color to balance the linear and narrative aspects of her work and is highly adept at creating mood and atmosphere with her choice and application of strong colors. Her line evolves on the surface as she works. The scale can be as small as four inches or as tall as seven feet. In the past few years the size of some of the work has increased and in tandem its complexity.
Her exhibition at Greene Contemporary in February of 2007, called "Smoke Signals: trying to get back to myself" introduced a new scale and dimension to her oeuvre. In a series of smaller intense watercolors she worked through an emotional break-up with a boyfriend. Small's new work is subtle yet highly charged. On small beautiful sheets of paper she isolates one or two figures that appear to be having "brainstorms." This head ware - a combination wig and organic helmet suggest humans with growths or alien beings communicating important or distressing information. From the complex pathways of her line and color energized and seductive characters emerge.
Small's work demonstrates a sophistication and measured growth in ideas and concepts she has been distilling and refining over the past fifteen years. She has extraordinary control of her materials. With her brush she exhibits dexterity. Her line is fluid perfection – lyrical and poetic. The reward of her work is both visceral and cerebral. The mind is stimulated and the senses are satisfied. Her meandering encourages the pursuit of personal dreams and imaginings.