Artist Interview: Sharon Norwood

Recently we reached out to Sharon Norwood, an artist and longtime New York Publich Library to talk to us about her work. She works in fine art and sculpture and frequently uses curly lines in her work. In her words: "Using the curly line paired with historical objects becomes a way to speak to issues of race, gender, beauty, class and indeed labor. In my work the curly line becomes the Black body, and at other times it lives within the decorative, ornate space that connects us back to the formal language of drawing, and mark making." You can read more in Norwood's artist statement on her website where you can also view more of her work.

What’s your background? 

I am an artist of Carribean descent, who was born in Jamaica. I received my undergraduate degree in painting from the University of South Florida and then went on to receive a Masters of Fine Arts in Studio Art from Florida State University. Initially my interest in artistic practice was based solely on the desire to become a better painter. I wanted to create figurative portraits. What I found was a bountiful world of creative possibilities that was life-changing. My experience in art school served to inform me of the greater importance of art in the world and how it shapes culture and  identity. This realization made me want to be part of that larger conversation that the arts can provide and in so doing I moved away from wanting to create specific figurative images and I found that I wanted to articulate broader, more complex ideas and concepts in my art. 

Why do you do what you do? 

At some point I realized that art was a consistent source of inspiration for me and I wanted to make it a permanent part of my life; being an artist just made sense. The work I make provides me with a way to articulate my understanding about race, gender, class, and “supposed” differences. Through Art making I am able to unpack some of that. I am most interested in disrupting passive notions of viewing “the other” and representations of Black and brown bodies in popular culture. From an early age I realized that my understanding of self most often conflicted with the visual language presented in the books I read, in newspapers, and other popular media. Creating art offers a way to unpack and disrupt some of those conflicting narratives that shape my understanding of Black culture. 

What work do you most enjoying doing? 

I really enjoy the tactile nature of art-making and the immediacy offered by some materials, for example drawing. Using pen and ink I am able to hash out larger ideas in a very spontaneous, unhindered way. Right away I can see the mark. Drawing for me  offers a way to escape the complications of my very process-driven practice. It offers a less complicated way of viewing that I find most attractive. When things get crazy, pen and paper is all that’s needed to make a mark.  

What does your work aim to say?  

My work is meant to provoke an honest conversation about race and difference. In the best of worlds I imagine my work engaging with the viewer in an intimate way. Reminding them of self and sparking a conversation, an interrogation, questioning.  I source “found objects” as a way to disrupt conversations or to start conversations. Found materials offer a certain history already embedded in them. Porcelain tea cups, fine china offer an historic value. The wares used are decorative and precious. By manipulating these objects with the curly line I am able to question these embedded histories in a new way. Using my drawings as material, I am able to disrupt the pervading narrative.

Who are your biggest influences?  

There are many artists that I admire such as Kerry James Marshall. He stands out as one of the first artists that I was introduced to who creates works specific to African Americans. I remember being completely mesmerized by his life-size canvases and dark Black figures. I also admire Rachael Whiteread's work. Her  work “Ghost” where she casted a closet and her public art sculpture “House” were quite meaningful in the depth and weight of the ideas they conveyed. I’m also inspired by the works of Jean-Honoré Fragonard for the ornate, Rococo, decorative nature of his landscapes.  

How have you developed your career? 

As an artist a big part of developing my practice included attending an undergraduate and graduate program that gave me the time and space I needed in order to develop the skills required to make my art. This experience also created many opportunities for me to meet industry individuals who have become a big part of my supportive creative community. 

How do you seek out opportunities?  

There are many opportunities for artists to exhibit and show their work in galleries, museums and artist-run alternative spaces as well as participate in creative residencies. My opportunities are a blend of applying to call-for-entries, invitations and also creating my own opportunities.  

How do you navigate the art world?  

In my head there is no “art world.” There’s only me wanting to develop and maintain a sustainable practice, so I don’t think of myself as navigating an art world. Instead I think of ways to make and show meaningful works.   

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?  

Among the best advice received as an artist is to make a lot of work and develop my own creative language.  

Has literature impacted your art making? 

W.E.B. Du Buois's The Souls of Black Folk is an important literature in my work. I often find myself contemplating the concept of "double vision" and what it means to be Black in a world where “whiteness” and heteronormative ideas hold center stage. In The Souls of Black Folk Du Bois speaks about the overarching complications of Black life in America, the internal conflict of a divided identity. DuBois explains it as “a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at one’s self through the eyes of others, of measuring one’s soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity. One ever feels his two-ness—an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body.” In the work I make I often think about this idea of double consciousness. 

Are libraries a part of your world? 

The library has always had special meaning for me. I recall moving to Canada and getting my first library card. As a child I was an avid reader and spent many hours leafing the pages of books I got from the library. At some point I even considered  becoming a writer, perhaps my artwork is a conversion of written language and meaning into a visual form. 

Thank you to YA Librarian Joe Pascullo for help putting this blog post together.