Nesting and Spreading | Sophie Sanders

Made in conjunction with Cara Hagan.

Sophie Sanders (Hillsboro, NH) | June 2021

Inspired by Elsewhere’s Aviary and Jewish heritage, Sanders printed a series of cyanotype prayer flags and banners exploring the concepts of creating areas of home, comfort, and expansion. Like much of Elsewhere’s explorations in mixing and matching, this work fuses a number of spiritual beliefs and items to create something new.

The Artist says of her work;

“I was inspired by the lavish and sensuous textures and colors, and the powerful presence of many of the installations. I was especially drawn to Rae Red’s Red Zone, the soft sculptures with the large blue Permanent Resident by Anna Kohlweis, the frenetic Ribbon Room (originally by Andrea Zammarelli), the Velvet Retreat by Janelle Beasley, and the Victorian Hair Bathroom (Album Amicorum by Spencer Merolla).

Another important influence was the communal ethos of Elsewhere, which I interpreted as part kibbutz, part commune, and part artists’ playground. Lastly, my project was loosely inspired by Buddhist prayer flags, which I saw hung in the alleyway behind the museum. These flags are hung high in the air to transport people’s prayers via the wind, and their colors represent different natural elements and the different directions. The blue symbolizes the sky or space, and it signifies purity or healing. As a Jewish person, I connect my culture’s values and beliefs with my practice of yoga and dance. I knew that Sylvia and Joe Gray were Jewish and there seemed to be a lot of Jewish books in a section of the library, which was curated by former Programs Intern, Zach Whitworth.”