Sarah Evans-Moore was born and raised in Northeast Pennsylvania. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree from Valdosta State University and will graduate in December of 2017. Moore produces 3D work with a focus in ceramics and metalsmithing. During her time at VSU Moore has worked as a ceramics studio assistant and has been awarded four art scholarships. She has participated in juried shows and recently she teamed up with the co-recipient of the Martha G. Smart scholarship to show her work in the VSU student gallery. Moore uses her apartment in Valdosta as a home base, where she lives with her husband and fur babies, while she pursues art residency programs along the East coast before returning to school for a master’s degree with a focus in ceramics.
As a 3D artist my two foci are ceramics and metalsmithing. I was immediately drawn to metalwork, I remember being shocked to discover that metal can be an incredibly delicate and fragile media to work with. Making jewelry allowed me to incorporate my personal goals of becoming a conscientious consumer of goods into my work when I challenged myself to use recycled metal. I source my metal from the scrap bin, things I have been given or have found, as well as from local pawn shops. I use sterling silver to make simple, elegant jewelry with organic shapes and textures. The process of taking abandoned objects, like an old silver spoon, and transforming it into wire, chain etc. is gratifying and impactful.
Like the materials I repurpose for jewelry making clay allows me to engage with making objects for everyday use. I make ceramic works that can be seamlessly integrated into a person’s everyday life; I make pieces that are comfortable to use and which beg to be held and touched. There’s both a sense of impermanence and intimacy about knowing my works will leave my possession and have a life cycle of their own. I enjoy blurring the line between craft and art in my ceramic works by making them functional yet still highly decorative. I have learned to listen to the clay, to understand its limitations and know when to give up enough control to collaborate with the material and let it show its own personality. I see the forms I make as canvases for narrative. I use the subtractive method of sgraffito to decorate my works; this method lends itself well to creating the type of light, whimsical and pun fueled imagery I enjoy.