We are both the product of and creator of our environs. Over time, ways of life shape and define us and we, in turn, shape our spaces which then shape our memories and histories. Strong emotions can be prompted by a place. Sarah Williams is drawn to structures that show the character acquired over those long histories and to the emotional ties we feel to these places we are connected to through our personal histories. She has spent years trying to capture rural Midwestern identity but she is also interested in finding ways to give a sense of perspective for her understanding of these small rural areas in Missouri.
Taking herself out of the “home” environment and applying her way of visually exploring another locale was the next step in expanding her work. Before the pandemic, Williams did an artist residency in Key West, FL. This new body of work came out of that experience and is about the similarities and differences between that region and what she recognizes as her “home” in Missouri.