How Sandra Cavanagh Uses Art to Reimagine Power and Myth
Sandra Cavanagh is an artist whose work is shaped by her life experiences and the world around her. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, she grew up during times of political instability, which deeply influenced her perspective. In this interview, she shares how her background led her to create art that explores power, injustice, and personal memories.
Sandra talks about her creative process, where she often starts with a sketch or a strong emotion and develops it into a series of drawings, prints, or paintings. She explains how myths and stories help her make sense of social and political issues and how experimentation is key to her creative journey. She also shares what she hopes people feel when they see her work—whether it’s a sense of connection, surprise, or deep reflection.
Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina to a family of mixed ethnic heritage. She read Social Sciences at the University of Belgrano, Buenos Aires before emigrating to California and later to the UK where she completed a Foundation and a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts at the Kent Institute of Art and Design, University of Kent. She returned to full residency in the United States in 2010 and has worked and resided in New York City ever since. Her effort to find a public platform is very recent.
1. Can you tell us a little about yourself and your background?
Growing up in Argentina I experienced the reasonable fear of living in a police state, fear of uniformed authority, and suspicion of government. This fundamental break of trust in the state led at least to the ideals of militancy and an interest in a politically engaged art. To date, societal events such as injustice, violence, and gender inequality continue to be a source for the narratives I develop on paper and canvas.
Interested in the pairing of form and message, and formal variations on a theme, I have often worked in series, creating pictorial storylines with some urgency to exhaust the subject and form to the point of understanding or unburdening myself of it.
Sandra Cavanagh
2. What is your creative process like from start to finish?
Most recently I’ve focused on the use of myth to comment on sociopolitical issues. The work evokes ancient and current power structures and the stresses these cause. I’m interested in the enduring nature of cross-generational stories in popular media and their use to contextualize public and private elements of our lives through the ages. I’ll begin to work on a concept through sketches, seeking new figurative expression for whatever the narrative in hand to heighten the pictorial drama. The process may end in a series of graphite or ink drawings, lithographs, and/or paintings. Usually, an idea will develop into a series comprising various media.
3. Where do you find inspiration for your artwork?
My first point of reference is my biography, socio-political commentary is frequent. A piece of work may start with a drawing, some event that’s made me hopping mad, or some endearing memory, or a shocker.
4. What role does experimentation play in your art practice?
You could say experimentation is present the moment I start on an idea. During the first weeks of my Foundation in Fine Art, we were introduced to The Cup Theory. Do something with a cup, they said. It was the first understanding I had of creative thinking and problem-solving. We were given a short time limit for the project, so I came up with a half-minute-long piece of choreography that had six of us form into, well, a cup. The aid of Cup’s Theory of lateral thinking remained foundational to resolving a piece of work.
Recent global events have led me to considerations of mortality and loss of innocence in transgenerational stories, the usefulness of art’s centuries old regard of myth, foundational stereotypes and the mundane occurrence of violence.
Sandra Cavanagh
5. What do you hope people take away from experiencing your art?
I hope that in the work a viewer finds resonance for their feelings, that they’re surprised by it, stirred by the energy of composition, and of color and the richness of the surface if it’s a painting.
For Sandra, art is a way to process history, emotions, and the world around her. Through her paintings, drawings, and prints, she hopes to spark emotions, inspire thought, and connect with others on a deeper level. Whether her work is based on personal memories or global issues, it carries a strong message about the world we live in and the stories that shape us. To learn more about Sandra, click here.
