Office of Internal Communications
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June 3, 2004 Inspired by her biracial heritage and her global travels, Austin sculptor Margo Sawyer creates an exhibit that not only celebrates color, but also reflects an outsider’s view of the world. It is a view that she hopes Houstonians will appreciate as they explore one of her exhibits, which is on display at Blaffer Gallery, the Art Museum of the University of Houston. Titled “Margo Sawyer: Contemplative Spaces,” the exhibit will close June 13. It is part of the gallery’s Special Projects series initiated in 2001 to provide artists with an opportunity to explore new ideas and exhibit new bodies of work, works in progress or site-specific installations, explained Terrie Sultan, gallery director. “For over 20 years, I have been focusing on making installations that form a contemplative environment for the viewer,” Sawyer said. One of her installations, “Blue,” is a dense mosaic of flat wooden panels, boxes and frames that is painted in different shades of blue with occasional yellows, reds and greens Moved by the breathtaking view of the Indian city of Jodhpur, Sawyer created the installation in 1998, after her second trip to India. The city, she said, is called the ‘Blue City’ because of its many navy-colored houses. “The work is very much abstraction, and it’s almost like you’re looking down at the sky,” Sawyer said. “It’s modernism with color yet with a poetic aspect.” Another installation, “Yellow,” was created specifically for the show at Blaffer Gallery. The installation is composed of solid yellow glass rods interspersed with red glass tubes suspended from the ceiling to form diamond-shaped curtains. Her inspiration was the beaded shrouds that cloak the mummies of Egyptian kings and queens. In addition to Eastern influence, her work also reflects her ethnicity. The daughter of an African-American man and Caucasian Englishwoman, Sawyer said her sculpture hints at her “outside” view. Sawyer’s passion for sculpture dates back to her teenage years when she traveled extensively with her mother. “My mother didn’t like to celebrate Christmas, so during that time we traveled, and most often, to Muslim countries,” Sawyer recalled. In 1973, she and her mother toured Egypt, which was at war with Israel. At that time, the tourist group with whom she and her mother traveled was one of the first and few to be allowed into the country. Despite the fighting, Sawyer enjoyed the trip, discovering the pharaohs’ tombs, Egyptian temples and art. “Those temples and other ancient architecture embrace art, painting and sculpture — that caught my attention,” she said. “It cemented a fascination of sculpted forms and objects in me and made me want to become a sculptor.” Since then, Sawyer’s travel log has included most of the world’s continents. She also has established a successful career with numerous solo shows in such cities as Bombay, New York, Tokyo, Kyoto and Pittsburgh. All gallery exhibitions are free and open to the public. For more information, visit http://www.hfac.uh.edu/blaffer/index.html. Francine Parker
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