Self Portrait 2020

Sarah Cain’s large square canvas is built from bands of color, snaking and winding around each other. I imagine her, stepping back, squinting, probably on a ladder, maybe on the floor, adding to the swells and curves, adjusting and readjusting. There’s something playful here, a little bit goofy, not too serious, but earnest. It makes me think about how a painting comes into being, and the way an artist must surrender to the process, finding a balance between intention and chance. It's a conversation between herself and the painting. There is a lot of pink, a gutsy black line, all these shades are having a conversation. She's working with a limited palette, exploring how colors interact, how they push and pull against each other. Her mark making is deliberate and expressive. It's like she is saying, "Okay, painting, let's figure this out together." Painting is a continuous conversation between artists across time. Each one responding to the others, pushing the boundaries of what painting can be.