Our first Main Space exhibition this year features local artist and City of San Antonio Department of Arts & Culture 2022 Individual Artist Grant recipient, Sabra Booth. Booth’s studio practice offers interpretative observations of nature while addressing complex ecological issues, and Snow Shadows further explores this interest.
In February 2021, what began as a rare and exciting opportunity for Texas residents to experience significant snowfall turned devastating as the Texas power grid failed, causing rolling blackouts across most of the state. The freezing temperatures also lead to disrupted water service, that combined with power loss, forced some to flee their homes to seek safe shelter elsewhere.
Snow Shadows documents the events of winter storm Uri by replicating shadows from frozen and dying plants. “Plants were irreparably frozen, including some from my own yard, such as iconic San Antonio species, agaves, and prickly pears,” said Booth. Utilizing non-toxic color inks on large sheets of kōzo paper, airbrushed with a pearlescent white watercolor, Booth’s abstract paintings will fill the Main Space gallery windows, allowing natural light to filter through the paper, illuminating the paintings.
The artist purposefully creates light, playful paintings to signify the events of the winter storm in the hope that the installation will encourage reflection on both the unexpected beauty and perils prompted by climate change.
Acknowledgements
Special thanks to Miles Fermin and Greg Johnson for their assistance, Marisol Cortez for her environmental advocacy, the City of San Antonio Arts & Culture Department and Artpace for their sponsorship, Rachel Carson for igniting my interest in ecology, and my mother, Barbara Booth, for showing me how to notice nature.
Sponsors
Artpace San Antonio’s presentation of this exhibition has been made possible through the generous support of the City of San Antonio Department of Arts & Culture, the John L. Santikos Charitable Foundation of the San Antonio Area Foundation, and the Texas Commission on the Arts through their ongoing support of Artpace’s exhibitions and programs.