Interview with Sandra Plaar

A life-threatening illness at the age of 23 radically changes Sandra Plaar's life. She drops out of law school, becomes a teacher, later an art therapist, and writes two books. But it was in art that she found her inner home. She fulfills her lifelong dream of devoting herself entirely to art. Her exhibitions became a great success.

‍

Why did you decide to pursue an artistic career?

Actually, I already wanted to become an artist after graduating from high school, but self-doubt and preconceived notions such as "art is a dead-end profession, learn something clever!" prevailed and made me take the path of supposed security. But first, things turn out differently, and second, things turn out differently than you think. A life-threatening illness at the age of 23 radically changed my life. I dropped out of law school, became a teacher, later an art therapist, and wrote two books. But it is in art that I find my inner home. At the age of 50, I fulfilled my lifelong dream of devoting myself entirely to art. True to the motto: It's never too late to live your dream.

‍

‍

What inspires you to do your job every day?

‍As a person with a chronic illness, my path in life and my activity have been largely determined by my body. Art gives me the opportunity to be more than this illness. It gives me the opportunity to break out of the physical confinement to express myself as who I really am. In art, I experience absolute freedom. It lets me accept what it is and makes me whole again. I also find this inner connection in the beauty and perfection of nature, which strongly influences my creative work. Nature does not judge or value. It simply is. An eternal cycle of constant change and development.

‍

What themes do you address in your art, and why is that so important to you?

‍For me, art is a place of self-affirmation, where the focus is on inner freedom in order to develop further in a strengthened way. In a world whose rhythm is increasingly accelerating, we need moments of quiet mindfulness in which we can reconnect with the ESSENTIAL in order to reorient ourselves and grow. I take up topics like “self-doubt and growing beyond oneself,” as a typical women's topic with my experimental approach. In search of ever new possibilities of expression, I explore the limits of what is possible, showing that it is worth breaking through one's own limitations in order to discover one's potential for self-development with each hurdle mastered.

‍

‍

‍

Which aspect of the creative process do you like best?

‍Well, I think for me, it's the aspect of absolute freedom in artistic expression. Art offers me the ideal playground to try things out without reservation. I alone determine the rhythm, space, and time in which my inner world takes shape on the canvas. I am the only judge. Everything may, nothing must. And so I hold the sole creative power of a new world in my hands. Complete the work when inner peace, contentment, and the feeling of having arrived spread through me.  

‍

How would you describe your technique?

If something describes my technique probably aptly, then it is probably the expression "experimental.” My unselfconscious approach in dealing with various painting media and techniques is emblematic of my nature as the eternal seeker, spurred by an insatiable curiosity, the challenge needs.

‍

‍

Do you start your work with a preconceived concept or idea of what you want to achieve, or is the result unexpected?

‍The creation process begins intuitively from the gut and follows no clear idea of what is to emerge. Preliminary sketches are anathema to me and block me. Most of the time, I only decide on one or two colors. An intensive process of failure and regeneration follows. I observe, refine, discard, or keep alive.

How do you know or decide when a work of art is finished?

‍An exciting question. Knowing when a work of art is complete is not always easy. Sometimes I miss the moment, want too much, and get pushed back to the starting field. In the past, such moments frustrated me and gnawed at my self-confidence as an artist. Today I have learned that there are no mistakes in art. That these are rather fruitful, small detours on the way to the goal and give a picture depth and strength. When it becomes very quiet inside, when what has flowed onto the canvas touches me deep inside, I know that I am finished.

‍

‍

‍

What other creative people, books, music, or films inspire you?

‍As an artist, Frida Kahlo fascinates me. For me, she is the embodiment of a strong woman who didn't let her illness get her down. Her paintings are the epitome of female strength and expressiveness. I share the same admiration for Stephen Hawking, who mentally breaks out of his increasing physical imprisonment, his gaze always fixed on the stars, breaking through the limits of physics.

I have read hundreds of spiritual books. The work "The Secret" and its film adaptation have made a particular impression on me. In addition, the works of John Streleck, including "The Café at the Edge of the World" or "The Big Five for Live," have shaped my outlook on life.

Do you have certain rituals or indispensable objects in the studio?

‍The creative process is very chaotic for me. What starts with one brush often expands to ten more and ends with painting with my hands, countless pots of paint, and other painting utensils. Long tidying up is not excluded and makes me make the resolution to work more neatly next time. But when the creative flow seizes me, such resolutions are quickly thrown overboard. I just can't help it. But as chaotic as the work may be, I have to clean up the workplace meticulously afterward. Even when the artwork is unfinished, I need order within the sequences. Then the order on the outside creates order on the inside and opens the view to the next step in the creative process.

‍

‍

‍

Do you work with real-life examples, or are your works mainly based on fantasy?

‍Inspiration I often get from nature. Structures, shapes, and especially cracks fascinate me and inspire the initial phase. The rest follows the imagination, which opens a gateway to my inner world and flows onto the canvas in the connection of what is and what is not yet.

How do you come up with the titles of your artworks?

‍The titles usually come at the end, quite intuitively. Usually, they have to do with my inner process while painting or describing a feeling that I associate with what is depicted. Sometimes they arise from the context of the colors used and their specific effect.

‍

‍

‍

Would you tell us more about your current project - what are you working on?

‍Currently, I'm working on a series under the title "Transformation. Our world is undergoing a radical transformation in which change is inevitable, not to say vital. Symbolically, this theme is taken up in the strong cracking of my new works. When supposedly everything collapses and breaks down, the opportunity presents itself to grow back together into a wonderful whole. As an art therapist, I know about the effect and meaning of colors and use them consciously.

‍

‍

Where would you like to exhibit one day and why?

‍A dream would be to be represented with a work of art at Art Basel. As a Swiss, that would be an absolute honor, of course. In addition, Art Basel was my first visit to an art fair. At that time, this desire began to germinate in my heart, and the little plant is still growing today. And, of course, to exhibit a painting in a gallery in New York would also be quite fine!

Where do you see your career as an artist in five years?

‍Life has taught me that the only thing we can actually influence is the present moment. That's why I live completely in the here and now and don't plan much in advance. Of course, I have my dreams and visions. And if I dare to dream there, I have managed to place my paintings in prestigious national galleries and have become known beyond the country's borders.

‍

Visit Sandra Plaar's website now:

https://www.sandraplaar.ch

‍