Kay Sarver Art

These five samples are the first experimental pieces that sparked the idea for this new series, The Unseen.  I postponed the series to work on a different project for a solo exhibition that opened in November of 2011.  I intend to make 2012 the year to accomplish this new series.


1. Aztec Warrior, oil on wood, 2010, 48"x 36"x 3"
I watched a man working in my yard, with his blower pack strapped to his back. The extremely loud sound and his bold appearance intrigued my creative muse.  I imagined what he would have looked like to his courageous ancestors of long ago, with this odd, weapon-like, noisy object protruding from his hand, blowing everything aside with its great power, still fulfilling the promise of a warrior.

2. Busboy, oil on wood, 2010, 36"x 48"x 3"
Having lunch with a friend, I noticed a hard-working busboy, his broken English hardly evident, always smiling, taking great care to help customers, who seemed to barely notice his face.  She and I had our conversation, but my on-going distraction by his presence lead to this eventual painting, and his imagined story.

3. Daydreaming, oil on wood, 2011, 48"x 24"x 3"
I have passed them in large, sterile office buildings in the city.  I have barely noticed as I was hurrying to my destination.  She is going through the motions to accomplish her task, dreaming of a different life.

4. In the Kitchen, oil on wood, 2011, 36"x 48"x 3"
Glance into nearly any restaurant kitchen and you will see the face of Indigenous, South American heritage. The restaurant industry depends on this cheap labor, be it right or wrong, it is a truth.  The kitchen gets very hot, and the work is stressful and labor intensive, but in the years I had worked in the restaurant industry, I never heard these people complain.

5. Twin Girls in the Desert, oil on wood, 2011, 24"x 48"x 3"
I read a story about two young Mexican girls, twin sisters, who were found by Border Patrol, roaming around in the desert near the border.  A man appeared, calling himself their uncle, but it seems that this was questionable.  The story eluded that the girls were being trafficked into the States – possibly the sex trade.  I wanted to convey their loving bond and their forlorn uncertainty.