Sarah Umles (USA) is an interdisciplinary artist based in Los Angeles. Her work spans installation, photo, video, performance, social sculpture, and curatorial practices. She holds an MA in Arts Administration & Policy from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a BA in Creative Writing with an emphasis in Film & Visual Culture from the University of California, Riverside. In 2018, Sarah founded The Residency Project—an artist residency and project space in Pasadena, California.

«Portrait of a Lady plays on historical attempts to depict the ‘ideal’ woman. In this piece, I present an abstracted bust of a woman using medical grade silicone anti-wrinkle patches on tempered glass. This work comments upon contemporary notions of beauty and the absurdity of modern cosmetic practices.

In Topography of Extraction, auto engine oil pans rise from a basin of noxious liquid, creating an ominous landscape reminiscent of the American Southwest. I reflect upon my family’s road trips through Monument Valley, my inherited mineral rights holdings, and the impact these have upon the lands I purport to admire and respect. The installation is a mournful reminder of the anthropocentric practices that continue to scar the Earth.»