I use cinematic references, expressive mark making and invented colour palettes to comment on contemporary life; I am interested in the cross-over between the fictional and the real in a society where the two have become ever-more confused.
Working primarily with oil paint on canvas Sal’s fascination with painting focuses on our relationship with representation; particularly with regard to human expression and communication. Her emotionally charged paintings, portraying, often, fictional subjects, capture the action of expression out of context whilst transforming the stereotypical portrait. Using subjects that she has sourced from cinema the media and popular culture she creates works that explore human reaction and empathy on a personal level. Her work investigates our love of the dramatic, focusing on scenes of questioning, love, betrayal, and power-play; along with titles originating from dialogue, they invite the viewer to share and empathise with this inner world of familiar strangers.
The painted surface draws attention to the process of painting and to the artist’s choices in transforming the photographic source image.
Sal has a BA Hons in Fine Art and a PGCE in Art & Design, she lives and works in Hackney, London and has exhibited widely in London and the UK, in selected and solo shows. Works are held in private collections in the UK and Internationally. She has over 20 years of experience working in the education sector teaching and undertaking art residencies; she is a freelance Artist, Museum educator and exam board Assessment Associate.
Sal exhibited at the Royal Cambrian Academy in January 2022 and has work selected for the Wales Contemporary which opens in Pembrokeshire in October and travels to London in November 2022. In 2020, Sal was an invited artist for the ING Discerning Eye exhibition as well as being selected for the Discerning eye, annual open exhibition at the Mall galleries in 2014.
In 2020 and 2015 she had work selected for the Society of Women artists annual open exhibition and has shown with the Bath Society of Artists in their annual open exhibitions. Sal was one of 21 visual women artists invited to produce new work for 'Dear Christine', an arts council funded touring exhibition in tribute to Christine Keeler (the exhibition toured during 2019 – 2020 to Newcastle, Swansea and London).
Sal was elected an associate member of the national Society of Painters, Sculptors and Print makers in 2016 and exhibited in their annual shows 2016 and 2017. She is a member of ArtCan.org, sitting on the advisory board. In 2016 she was long-listed for the Jackson’s Open Art prize, winning the interim oil painting prize. In 2021 she was longlisted for the Women's United art prize.
