Laura Sanders
Owl Habitat
From the Artist
“When I conceived the image for this print I was thinking about our human altered environment and how some elements of nature must now adapt to live within.”Â
About the Artwork
Owl Habitat is composed of bright swirling color surrounding an isolated subject. The green background is comprised of a skillful illusion – recreated brushstrokes made by the process of screenprinting.
Curatorial Opinion
In Laura Sanders’ print, Owl Habitat, the artist is making a humorous environmental comment, inviting viewers to be in on a cleverly constructed joke. The owl in the image is printed on a graphic t-shirt worn by a young woman. The barb of the title is inflected further on the viewer upon noticing that the subject is drinking from a single-use plastic bottle. All around her float painterly strokes of acid green not found in nature, perhaps a reference to the man-made toxicity of our consumer culture.
About the Artist
Laura Sanders (b.1966, Detroit, MI) is a figurative painter whose work explores feminism and environmentalism. Her artworks portray a realistic, at times photographic, depiction of figures and landscapes, yet still retain the physicality and texture of paint.
Read MoreAbout the Process
Haystack works with both traditional printmakers and digital printers to ensure each artist’s print reflects the most important aspects of their studio practice. Owl Habitat was printed in collaboration with the artist and Forth Estate at Axelle Editions (a renowned printmaking studio active from 2005 – 2015). Each print was created by silkscreen printing (also known as serigraphy). This method requires stenciling techniques wherein ink is pressed onto paper through deliberately exposed areas of a mesh screen one color at a time.
