Stitching Together

the Past and Present

 

My collage work is a colorful, critical, and often humorous exploration of the roles of women, both assigned and assumed, over the last century.

My primary source material is parenting and women's magazines from the 1930s to the 1980s. These found resources—simultaneously fascinating, and ridiculous—reveal society's expectations of women's interests and needs. This dynamic mirrors how social media dictates our self-perceptions, our sense of worth, and what we think we need to be happy.

​

I combine all these ideas with found imagery and texts in vibrant, circular compositions that prompt both smiles and thoughtful consideration. My studio, filled with vintage ephemera, thrifted textiles, and watercolors, is a comforting mix of old papers and paint. Sewing and thread have been an essential element in my work over the years.

Today, I am stitching the history I find to the modern story I am telling.

Sarah Kargol received her bachelor's degree in studio art from the University of Northern Iowa in 2000. She is an award winning artist with artwork in permanent collections throughout the United States and Canada. Sarah lives in Oskaloosa, Iowa with her sculptor husband, Matt. They've raised four boys together and are nearly empty nesters.