Sarah Belchetz-Swenson

About Sarah Belchetz-Swenson

These two lithographs are part of Rites, which was "inspired by a fresco cycle in the Villa of the Mysteries in Pompeii. Depicting a secret initiation ceremony, the frescoes capture the goddess Demeter and her daughter Persephone in mysterious half poses. Flanked against a flat orange surface, the women seem to float in space, their gestures unconnected to a specific activity. Intrigued by the composition, Swenson created a contemporary version ... Using family and neighbours, she sought women engaged in everyday chores: opening a refrigerator door, reaching for a tin ... By celebrating the small activities that engage women, she has hit upon the deeper life connection - the continuity that binds generations, a bond as indestructible as light" (Alexandra Johnson).

The woman in these lithographs is a friend of the artist; the girl is her youngest daughter Saskia.

Rites II Opus II [1981]
Lithograph, 45/75, 71 x 56 cms
Donated by the artist 2003.

Rites III Opus II [1981]
Lithograph, 45/76, 71 x 56 cms
Donated by the artist 2003.