Selected by Charlie Levine

Archives, collections, found/discarded objects, hidden histories are pieces of puzzles that artist Sarah Sabin enjoys discovering, dissecting and putting back together again.

'I like to research and explore my subject matter, often with a fine tooth comb. This continues into my use of materials and techniques, which are wide ranging, but usually employ meticulous or laboured processes… The way I display my work varies from cabinets to site specific installations.'

Her playfulness and understanding of subject matter and facts allows Sabin to reinterpret and suggest other narratives through archaeological methods of discovery and representation which for me contains a sense of theatre, in particular her 'Wall Excavations'.

These excavations into what lies behind seemingly ordinary walls are enchanting; they appear utterly fictitious and something of a day dream, they echo fairytales and mythology, Narnia and the Secret Garden. Sabin's other works however appear more classically archival, like 'Survival Kit' and 'Explorers'.

Sabin's ability to engage with a variety of 'crafts' means that traditional museum approaches of object displays and their preconceived boundaries are broken wide open. Her work is filled to the brim with memories; not just our own but those belonging to the objects and the stories that accompany them.

Charlie Levine is an independent curator based in the West Midlands.

Curator profile

Sarah Sabin, biography and artworks

June 2008