Sarah Jackson
Encyclopedia
Sarah Jeanette Jackson, née Sherman (Detroit, November 13, 1924 – Halifax, May 18, 2004) was a Canadian artist, who first became known for her sculptures and drawings and then became one of the pioneers of 20th century digital art
.
She was born in Detroit in 1924, the only daughter of Jewish emigrants from Poland
.
At Wayne State University in Detroit, she studied Humanities, receiving a BA and a MA degrees, her thesis being on color and texture in primitive and modern sculpture. She graduated in 1948 and left for Mexico City
where she taught English at Mexico City College and began her life as an artist.
In 1949, she passed through England
to visit Henry Moore
and then continued to Paris
where Henri Pierre Roché (author of Jules and Jim) introduced her to Constantin Brâncuşi
and arranged for her to exhibit a suspended sculpture at the 1949 Salon des Réalités Nouvelles
.
After her marriage with architect Anthony Jackson, the couple lived in London
, where her first solo show took place at the Galerie Apollinaire in 1951.
Over the next five years, she participated in various London group shows and in 1956 with her husband and the Italian painter Emilio Scanavino
formed group four in the exhibition This is Tomorrow
at the Whitechapel Art Gallery.
That year the couple moved to Canada
, where she continued to work in plaster and, later, wax and have her sculptures cast into bronze and exhibited in various galleries.
In 1961, she created a large bronze Dancer for Cloverdale Mall in Toronto
, a copy of which was purchased by Joseph H. Hirshhorn, who also bought other sculptures and drawings, which are now in the Hirshhorn Museum, in Washington, D.C.
Jackson had been occasionally drawing and painting during the early 1950s, but from the latter part of the decade ink wash drawings became a major part of her work until the late 1980s. Her last bronze sculptures, three mythological figures, are in the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia
.
In 1973, with the increasing cost of casting, Jackson turned to making sculptures out of everyday products and polyurethane foam. The following year, she started to explore the artistic possibilities of using current technology and was provided with a copier machine by Xerox Corporation, which subsequently donated some of her works to the Smithsonian American Art Museum
. Appointed artist–in–residence at the Technical University of Nova Scotia
(Dalhousie University
) in 1978, Jackson taught art and technology classes. She also arranged international copy art festivals and mail art
exhibitions, believing that this could lead to an ideal democratic interchange between artists and the public, without regard to political, economic or cultural barriers.
Jackson documented these with published catalogues including the 1985 ‘’International Mail/Copier Art Exhibition’’ catalogue which received an award of excellence from the Art Museum Association of America. The assembled works were displayed both in London in 1987 and at the Canadian Museum of Civilization
in 1992 and became part of the collection of the Canadian Postal Museum
.
Jackson also contributed to many art exhibitions abroad including two in Italy that were organized at Giuseppe Perotti School in Turin
, 1987 and 1990, and subsequently collaborated with Lidia Chiarelli and British poet Aeronwy Thomas
in developing IMMAGINE&POESIA
, a project that a few years later became the international artistic literary movement.
During this period she also used copiers to create bookworks which are now in various collections including the National Art Library at the Victoria and Albert Museum
(London).
From 1995 on, she worked exclusively with computers. Jackson’s last retrospective exhibition titled ‘’Spirit Journey / Bodies of Work’’ at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia in 2001 included bronze sculptures, ink drawings, mixed media assemblages, photocopier art and digital paintings.
Her extant work includes over 70 sculptures in bronze and approximately 1000 ink drawings, 1200 computer paintings and 20 mixed media sculptures (most of these and her early plaster sculptures having been photographed but now missing).
The artist’s own collection was bequeathed to her two children, Timothy and Naomi Jackson.
Digital art
Digital art is a general term for a range of artistic works and practices that use digital technology as an essential part of the creative and/or presentation process...
.
She was born in Detroit in 1924, the only daughter of Jewish emigrants from Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
.
At Wayne State University in Detroit, she studied Humanities, receiving a BA and a MA degrees, her thesis being on color and texture in primitive and modern sculpture. She graduated in 1948 and left for Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
where she taught English at Mexico City College and began her life as an artist.
In 1949, she passed through England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to visit Henry Moore
Henry Moore
Henry Spencer Moore OM CH FBA was an English sculptor and artist. He was best known for his semi-abstract monumental bronze sculptures which are located around the world as public works of art....
and then continued to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
where Henri Pierre Roché (author of Jules and Jim) introduced her to Constantin Brâncuşi
Constantin Brancusi
Constantin Brâncuşi was a Romanian-born sculptor who made his career in France. As a child he displayed an aptitude for carving wooden farm tools. Formal studies took him first to Bucharest, then to Munich, then to the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris...
and arranged for her to exhibit a suspended sculpture at the 1949 Salon des Réalités Nouvelles
Salon des Réalités Nouvelles
The Salon des Réalités Nouvelles is an association of artists and an art exhibition in Paris, focusing on abstract art.A first exhibition with the name was held in 1939 in Galerie Charpentier, organised by Robert Delaunay, Sonia Delaunay, Nelly van Doesburg and Fredo Sidès.In 1946 the Salon was...
.
After her marriage with architect Anthony Jackson, the couple lived in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, where her first solo show took place at the Galerie Apollinaire in 1951.
Over the next five years, she participated in various London group shows and in 1956 with her husband and the Italian painter Emilio Scanavino
Emilio Scanavino
Emilio Scanavino was an Italian painter and sculptor.-Early life:In 1938 the young Scanavino enrolled to the Art School Nicolò Barabino of Genoa where he met his teacher Mario Calonghi, who had a great influence on Scanavino’s first formation. In 1942 he had his first exhibition at the Salone...
formed group four in the exhibition This is Tomorrow
This is Tomorrow
This Is Tomorrow was a seminal art exhibition in August 1956 at the Whitechapel Art Gallery, facilitated by curator Bryan Robertson. The core of the exhibition was the ICA Independent Group.-History:...
at the Whitechapel Art Gallery.
That year the couple moved to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, where she continued to work in plaster and, later, wax and have her sculptures cast into bronze and exhibited in various galleries.
In 1961, she created a large bronze Dancer for Cloverdale Mall in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, a copy of which was purchased by Joseph H. Hirshhorn, who also bought other sculptures and drawings, which are now in the Hirshhorn Museum, in Washington, D.C.
Jackson had been occasionally drawing and painting during the early 1950s, but from the latter part of the decade ink wash drawings became a major part of her work until the late 1980s. Her last bronze sculptures, three mythological figures, are in the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia
Art Gallery of Nova Scotia
The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia is the provincial art gallery for the province of Nova Scotia. It is located in the central downtown region of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada with a branch gallery in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia....
.
In 1973, with the increasing cost of casting, Jackson turned to making sculptures out of everyday products and polyurethane foam. The following year, she started to explore the artistic possibilities of using current technology and was provided with a copier machine by Xerox Corporation, which subsequently donated some of her works to the Smithsonian American Art Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
The Smithsonian American Art Museum is a museum in Washington, D.C. with an extensive collection of American art.Part of the Smithsonian Institution, the museum has a broad variety of American art that covers all regions and art movements found in the United States...
. Appointed artist–in–residence at the Technical University of Nova Scotia
Technical University of Nova Scotia
The Technical University of Nova Scotia was a university in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada until it became part of Dalhousie University in 1997. It was formerly the Nova Scotia Technical College and is today the Sexton Campus of Dalhousie University.In the early 1900s, at the request of the province...
(Dalhousie University
Dalhousie University
Dalhousie University is a public research university located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The university comprises eleven faculties including Schulich School of Law and Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine. It also includes the faculties of architecture, planning and engineering located at...
) in 1978, Jackson taught art and technology classes. She also arranged international copy art festivals and mail art
Mail art
Mail art is a worldwide cultural movement that began in the early 1960s and involves sending visual art through the international postal system. Mail Art is also known as Postal Art or Correspondence Art...
exhibitions, believing that this could lead to an ideal democratic interchange between artists and the public, without regard to political, economic or cultural barriers.
Jackson documented these with published catalogues including the 1985 ‘’International Mail/Copier Art Exhibition’’ catalogue which received an award of excellence from the Art Museum Association of America. The assembled works were displayed both in London in 1987 and at the Canadian Museum of Civilization
Canadian Museum of Civilization
The Canadian Museum of Civilization is Canada's national museum of human history and the most popular and most-visited museum in Canada....
in 1992 and became part of the collection of the Canadian Postal Museum
Canadian Postal Museum
The Canadian Postal Museum is housed within the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, Quebec. It has been described as one of the largest postal museums in the world, ranking second in annual attendance. The museum is not primarily about postage stamps, although it has a first-class...
.
Jackson also contributed to many art exhibitions abroad including two in Italy that were organized at Giuseppe Perotti School in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, 1987 and 1990, and subsequently collaborated with Lidia Chiarelli and British poet Aeronwy Thomas
Aeronwy Thomas
Aeronwy Bryn Thomas-Ellis translator of Italian poetry, was the second child and only daughter of the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas and his wife, Caitlin Macnamara.-Early life:...
in developing IMMAGINE&POESIA
IMMAGINE&POESIA
__notoc__IMAGE&POETRY is an international artistic literary movement, founded at Alfa Teatro, Torino, Italy in 2007. The main ideas of the movement have been written in their manifesto consisting of 10 points...
, a project that a few years later became the international artistic literary movement.
During this period she also used copiers to create bookworks which are now in various collections including the National Art Library at the Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
(London).
From 1995 on, she worked exclusively with computers. Jackson’s last retrospective exhibition titled ‘’Spirit Journey / Bodies of Work’’ at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia in 2001 included bronze sculptures, ink drawings, mixed media assemblages, photocopier art and digital paintings.
Her extant work includes over 70 sculptures in bronze and approximately 1000 ink drawings, 1200 computer paintings and 20 mixed media sculptures (most of these and her early plaster sculptures having been photographed but now missing).
The artist’s own collection was bequeathed to her two children, Timothy and Naomi Jackson.
Group and solo shows (selection)
- Salon des Réalités nouvelles, Musée des Beaux Arts, Paris, 1949
- Solo sculpture (with Emilio Scanavino, paintings), Apollinaire Gallery, London, 1951
- London group, New Burlington Galleries, London, 1952
- This is Tomorrow, Whitechapel Art Gallery, London, 1956
- Solo show, Here and Now Gallery, Toronto, 1959
- Solo sculpture (with Marion Scott, paintings), Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal, Quebec, 1960
- Sculpture 60, Sculptors Society of Canada, Montreal, Quebec
- Solo show, Dalhousie University Art Gallery, Halifax, Nova Scotia, 1964
- Confrontation 67, Quebec Sculptors Association, Place des Arts, Montreal, Quebec, 1967
- Solo show, St. Mary's University Art Gallery, Halifax, Nova Scotia, 1973
- Solo show, Xerographic Art, Galerie Scollard, Toronto, Ontario, 1976
- Copie-Art, Motivation V, Montreal, Quebec, 1981
- Solo show, Mount Saint Vincent University Art Gallery, 1981
- International Mail/Copier Art Exhibition, Technical University of Nova Scotia, Halifax, 1985
- The book as Art, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, DC, 1987
- International Exhibition of Visual Poetry of São Paulo, Brazil, 1988
- Group A-Z, Vasarely Museum, Budapest, Hungary, 1991
- Guest artist, Art Travels: Mail Art Festival/L'art voyager: Festival d'art par correspondance, Canadian Postal Museum, Hull, Quebec, 1992
- MIDE Collection, Eden Court Gallery, Inverness, Scotland, 1993
- Copy art Show, XeroX Parc, Palo Alto, California, 1993
- First Biennale Art Electro-Images, Berlin, Germany, 1994
- International Copy Art Expo, Gallery Artbeam, Seul, South Korea, 1995
- Copy Book Art, Maerz Gallery, Linz, Austria, 1996
- ComputerKunst ’98, Gladbeck, Saalack, Dresden, Germany, 1998
- Pisa ’99, Pisa 2000, Mini graphic& Painting: International Biennial, Pisa, 1999, 2000
- 1/2000, Collège Jacques Cartier, Chauny, France, 2000
- Retrospective exhibition, Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, 2001
External links
- Life and works
- Digital art
- Hirshhorn Collection
- http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.hmsg.si.edu/dynamic/collection_images/thumb/66.2568.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.hmsg.si.edu/search.asp%3Fsearch%3Dflower&usg=__jrgKaps6a_gXjp-vf0cL8EmyGvY=&h=200&w=133&sz=4&hl=en&start=712&zoom=1&itbs=1&tbnid=LQEyG-g3sfhH1M:&tbnh=104&tbnw=69&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsarah%2Bjackson%26start%3D700%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D20%26tbs%3Disch:1/FlowerHead, Hirshhorn Museum]
- Form, National Gallery of Canada
- http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.dittwald.com/torontosculpture/gallery/thumb/Jackson_bustofman1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.dittwald.com/torontosculpture/search.php%3FWomen%3D1&usg=__8krc8ONb8x5PKo8ETuljBoJvBb8=&h=150&w=150&sz=4&hl=en&start=574&zoom=1&itbs=1&tbnid=txdoCUqlBtaSbM:&tbnh=96&tbnw=96&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsarah%2Bjackson%26start%3D560%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D20%26tbs%3Disch:1/Bustof a Man, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto]
- Extended gallery on Wikipedia Commons/Projects with Italian schools
