Steve Sachs

Artist Statement

As a self-taught artist, I juxtapose elements that tightrope between real and surreal,
childlike and sophisticated, playful and serious, humorous and sad, personal and
universal. Although there have been changes in materials and techniques over the
years, these essentials have remained the same.
My earliest works from the 70’s and 80’s, were mostly paintings on paper or shaped
masonite using oil-based enamels and ink. These pieces were influenced by illustrators,
surrealists, and optical (OP) artists, and were tightly controlled with a hard-edge
modernist aesthetic. In the 90s, the inherent honesty and material choices of Southern
folk artists loosened up my approach to art, realizing it was okay to have a “crooked
line”, and to incorporate found and re-contextualized objects. This resulted in a more
dimensional and sculptural art driven by ordinary objects, things that we might not
normally look at, and making them subjects of interest. By creating a visual dialogue
around the complexity and beauty of the seemingly marginal, a continuum of the past,
forgotten and often discarded is formed. I call this “urban archeology.” The materials
range from rusted nails, crushed cans, and reclaimed wood to lenticular imagery and
printed circuit boards. Although my materials and methods are constantly changing and
evolving, I strive to continuously create art that invites exploration.