Archival

An Exhibition of past works by Sarah Macdonald.

Paintings from Sarah Macdonald’s private collection spanning over 25 years, creating a glimpse into Sarah’s past and the painting moments that have helped forged the artist she is today.


Sarah Macdonald

Born in Australia 1978, Sarah spent her first 17 years in Australia before moving to the UK to live with her Father in Oxfordshire. After a couple of years studying Graphic Design in Oxford she commenced her degree in London - it is at this juncture that the "Archival" exhibition begins its exploration and documentation of her evolving body of work.


for more narrative of the exhibition


On a large dark square canvas emerges a warm sad face of the artist herself - Sarah Macdonald

Sarah Macdonald

 (Self Portrait)

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Photo taken from the side of two large framed print-influenced pieces. The roof of the Roundhouse is repeated like a wave in dark blue, and flows from one frame into the other. There are signs of the elevated railway in red as well as the light blue sky as a backdrop.
Installation made from towel, painted canvas shows a skirt shaped figure standing in front of a sash window. Like the figure the window is made from a cut up old oil painting of Sarah's the figure is wearing a mask (balclava)
Four members of the punk band Pussy Riot wearing their balaclavas are painted energetically with bright colours using fingers. The colourful women are dancing on a white canvas.
A square painting with an illustrative feel of a person's bent arms hugging their legs, drawn in black sharpie pen over painted contrasting cool reds and blues giving form. A line of barb wire sweeps over.
A rectangular painting with an illustrative feel of a person's bent arms hugging their legs, drawn in black sharpie pen over painted contrasting cool reds and blues giving form. The foot and shin of the leg are at a right-angle to the frame. A line of barb wire sweeps over the ankle.
A dark landscape at night with a street light lit Queenslander house in the background, and a wondering dog (Alsatian cross German Pointer) with a long shadow in the foreground.
Portrait canvas of mainly a clouded sky during sunset. There is yellow light on the horizon and peach highlighted clouds with the majority of clouds dark blue. There is a headland with a river wrapped around - backlit by the sunset. Tiny boats and buildings.The sky mainly features.
A photo of a long landscape painting perched on a chair. The paintings is of a huge corrugated roof. The colours of the roof are cold reds and purples. The building is set against a red sunsetting sky with a few wispy orange and white clouds
A painting of a bath against the outside of a wood slatted house. There is foliage with a butterfly surrounding the bath. The painting is dark apart from a glowing light reflected in the bath and some leaves highlighted near the purple pink butterfly.
A long landscape painting mainly of sunsetting sky. In the foreground is the roof of a Pizza Hut, palm trees and telegraph poles, all backlit. The sky is a grey blue with darker blue clouds. Lines of peach, lemon yellow and white highlight the clouds in the sunset. Secondary lighting is the neon white and red Pizza Hut sign on a post and the huge Pizza writing on the roof.
A framed print of painting London Sunrise. A back lit portrait of a city scape with park space in the foreground. The park is still in the dark with its lamp post lights shining orange yellow like fire flies. There are tall grey / lavender purple buildings on the horizon. A white sky surrounds the buildings topped with a yellow layer and then a thick blue and dark blue end of night sky.
A framed print of painting The Australians. Three parrots (lorraqeets) sit in the foreground on the same branch. Amongst the dark green foliage that surrounds them are corrugated roofs and bright pink flowers. There is an old Queenslander pub with veranda and palm trees in the back ground backlit against a sunsetting sky with bellowing clouds.
A large portrait of a young man wearing a black T-shirt with a white stencil of a gorilla's face on it. The man has shaggy hair and stares straight forward at the viewer. The background is white, the subject is saturated in this white 'light'.
A square painting with an illustrative feel of a pale, white, female like person crouched down on black bars hugging one knee. Drawn in black sharpie pen over painted contrasting cool pinks and blues and white giving form. The figure has a blue balaclava that has ear shapes and only has holes for the eyes. The background is of pale yellow and acid green with a swoosh of black behind the figure.
Landscape painting of partially shaded green hills looking down onto a patchwork of fields made of greens, golden yellow and terracotta fading off to the horizon. The sky takes up 50% of the painting and is blue with fluffy clouds, also going off to the horizon. There are specks of white on the hills (sheep) and to the right Uffington White Horse.
Painting of an old street that is winding off to the left. There are old Georgian houses on both sides. The bottom left corner is in shadow . A cyclist is riding out of the shadow into the light. The light is coming in from the top left. The main colours are white, cream, peach and greys.
Landscape painting of an old street with houses on both sides. The perspective of the houses run off to the middle bottom of the painting where the sun is rising. The houses are dark apart from the light reflecting off the glass window panes. A blue green sky fades away down to an orange white sunrise flooding the dark street with colours. There is a wispy white chemtrail.

London 1999 - 2004

Sarah Macdonald juggled her studies with the role of Head Designer at the Stables Market in Camden. Despite the challenges of this dual commitment, she managed to squeeze in time for her own creative projects. These included a series of multimedia and print-influenced pieces, along with a collection of quick acrylic sketches. Interestingly, most of these artworks, with only a few exceptions, ended up being shared within her immediate social circle rather than preserved for a broader audience.


Australia visit 2004

A supposedly short three-week visit to Australia ended up stretching to three months. During this extended stay, she created a body of work solely in oils. These pieces served as a means for her to navigate and define her sentiments regarding her connection with Australia and her pursuits in the realm of painting. Interestingly, the resulting collection now finds itself divided between Australia and the UK, like the artist herself.


Oxfordshire / Witney (1995–2015)

Following a period in London, Sarah Macdonald returned to Witney, Oxfordshire, a town she had known during her teenage years. Despite its familiarity, it did not offer a strong sense of belonging. This disconnection, coupled with unresolved past experiences, influenced her creative practice.

Art became a means of expression and reflection, helping to process and gradually release emotional tensions.