2015 Participating Artist: Sarika Goulatia

Name: Sarika Goulatia

Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA

Current Location/ Neighborhood: Squirrel Hill

Influential or Favorite Regional Artist: Tara Donovan, Louise Bourgeois, Mona Hatoum, Ann Hamilton

Artist Statement:  

I am a visual artist. I create large-scale sculptures and installations. My work assesses and investigates current concerns, conflicts and social issues. My practice is diverse in media- the theme, material, process and approach vary but are united conceptually and tactically reflecting a particular idea. The process to begin with is personal and intuitive, however, it becomes premeditated and directed towards a specific outcome based on how the materials transform and transition. Playing with materials is a part of my ongoing investigation.

My works attempt at transforming the context of diverse commonplace materials and imbues it with new meaning. The installations don’t intend to proclaim a particular position, however, they create opportunities for heightened perception to confront issues of morality, chaos and consumerism opening doors for introspection and dialogue.

The concept of community involvement has become an important aspect in developing and evolving my installations. I became sensitized to the “excesses” of consumerism after a life threatening allergic reaction to a prescribed medication. This event was a catalyst in changing the foundation materials for my works. I started using discarded materials to create off-balance sculptures that appear in a state of decay.

The interplay between 3-dimensional and 2-dimensional forms is central to my work. My sculptures are like drawings; they are contained autonomous objects, visualizing one small part of a larger system.

I am invested through my sculptures in studying spaces through castings, drawings, tracing and imprints that capture the traces of past life on scuffed surfaces. The marks, the grime, and the residue that linger on the finished pieces are archetypical and suggest a shared sense of history. My works tell the story of the space through the impressions left of the original object on the plaster cast or the paper. They challenge the viewers to reminiscence identities and the history of the structures.

Website: www.sarika-goulatia.com ; www.sarikagoulatia.com

Sarika Goulatia, Untitled X, 2014
Gesso, acrylic, donated shoe boxes
3 panel installation of 106" x 107" x 24"