Artist interview

Spotlight on...Sara Ladds!

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This month our spotlight is on textile designer Sara Ladds. She will give a short presentation on her work during the 6 pm tour's stop at Kreatelier, and tour-goers will be able to ask questions and browse the fabric and wallpaper showroom. You can also visit Kreatelier on your own anytime between 6 and 8 pm on April 18 Gallery Night.

Q: You were trained at RISD as a graphic designer. What's the difference for you between designing on paper vs. fabric?

A: As a graphic designer, one uses information to create a design with a specific message, such as a poster or a book cover. There are choices in type, image, and color which are arranged on a given dimension to inform. The similarities between graphic design and fabric design are the designing of similar elements such as pattern, color, and size/dimension on a flat, two-dimensional plane. But fabric is a moving, pliable medium that takes into consideration light, shape, function, style, trends, taste, etc. It has a longer presence where graphic design has a short window of purpose. And when it comes to interior fabrics, the fabric is part of a complex array of other elements such as rugs, artwork, furniture, etc. and they all need to "talk" to one another as a unified group. If it's done correctly.

Q: Art and design are often used interchangeably.  Is there a distinction?

A: I am of the opinion that yes, there is a distinction. Art is an expression of the soul. It comes from a place of having something to say and the artist completely drives what is said and how it's conveyed. Design has a purpose. To communicate and inform (graphic design), to be functional (industrial/furniture design), to live in society (fashion, architecture design), and so on. There are many designers who are artists and artists who are designers in both life and work. The two principles can intertwine and there are a few who have mastered it brilliantly. But for me, there is a distinction in the "why" something is created which separates art from design.

Q: Do you have  a favorite palette?  A favorite design or one  that you're most proud of? 

A: I love color! It's the number one driving force in how I design. I have always gravitated towards the warmer hues - red, orange, pink - but my new collection is with a lot of blues and greens. Whatever the color, I tend to go for a lot of saturation. I would say one of my favorite patterns is the "Peony" pattern. It's graphic and soft in style, bold, and colorful. 

More about Sara Ladds Design:

Sara Ladds Design was launched in early 2015 and is based in Providence, Rhode Island. The collections combine a particular style of bold pattern and vibrant color with attention to proportion and balance. Sara Ladds Design uses eco-friendly printing methods, including water-based pigment ink, regional production and sustainably sourced materials and all fabrics are produced in the USA. 

More about Sara Ladds:

Sara Ladds grew up in New York City where fashion, art, architecture, and culture influenced her sense of style and design. After graduating from Rhode Island School of Design, Sara spent many years as an award-winning graphic designer. She was owner of Bachleitner Design and in 2005 she became the art director at Brown University. In 2012 she moved out of Providence to the beautiful coastal town of Little Compton where she began to rethink her life’s work and decided to fulfill a long-time dream of being a textile designer. Thus Sara Ladds Design was born and one need not look far to see how Sara’s years as a graphic designer has strongly influenced her textiles. Her attention to detail and color are complemented by bold, graphic patterns and her work offers a strong and refreshing addition to the world of residential textiles. 

Spotlight on...Adèle and Antoine!

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This month, The Gallery at City Hall will be featuring the work of two talented artists, Adèle Saint-Pierre and Antoine Soued in an exhibit titled "Mondes cachés / Mondes cochés." Catch it as part of the 5:30 pm guided tour, or stop by City Hall on your own anytime between 4:30 to 6:30 pm on Gallery Night. The exhibit is on view during regular City Hall business hours, Monday to Thursday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, through January 17.

Q: Antoine, you are a native of Beirut, and worked in Tokyo, and Adèle you are from Quebec City.  How did you each come to make Providence your home?

Adèle: I moved to Providence in July of 2021 from Brooklyn, NY, where I had been living and working since 2010. Prior to that I lived in Boston, Québec City, and Le Mans (France). Though I was born and raised in Maine, my soul is in Québec City, the heart of both my paternal and maternal heritage and ancestry and the cradle of the French language I grew up speaking. I spend my summers there, and the academic school year here in Providence.

Antoine: Born and raised in Beirut, I studied architecture and spent my early professional years working in various studios that were developing interesting projects and ideas. I traveled the world quite a bit and landed a job in Tokyo in 2019. After Covid I headed to the United States to discover the wonderful town of Providence. I fell in love with this city and its people, and it has been my home ever since.

Q: Adèle, your artist statement says that your watercolors are inspired by "stains and cracks" in Providence sidewalks. Please tell us more about that!

Adèle: For as long as I can remember, animals and human figures have been jumping out at me from things like creases in fabric or wood grain patterns on floors. The water stain on the ceiling of my childhood bedroom, for example, was a big wolf howling at the moon. After reading Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way in the months leading up to Covid, I started taking pictures of the stains and cracks I was noticing on the sidewalks during my walks in Brooklyn and then painting the worlds of animals, humans and fantastical creatures they contained. Since moving to Providence, it is the stains and cracks I see on the sidewalks here that inspire my work, including the pieces I will be exhibiting at the Gallery at City Hall. I have been writing about this process and exploring what my earlier pieces communicate in my weekly blog.

Q: And Antoine, you are an architect by day.  How have architectural drafting methods influenced your work?  

Antoine: My illustrations are a natural extension of my profession and design process. I work based on models and images, extracting the essence of their atmosphere by abstracting the subject to its bare essence. I rely heavily on the contrast of shadow and light.

Q: Tell us more about the name of your exhibit, Mondes cachés / Mondes cochés, and what visitors can expect to see.

Adèle: Hidden in the stains and cracks of the sidewalks are entire worlds of people and animals doing everyday things, hence the first part of the title Mondes cachés. My show will feature an eclectic collection of new pieces ranging in themes from weight lifting to bread making, as well as a series of portraits of the quirky personnel of the imaginary Pharmacie Vachon. Finally, one of the walls will feature a cigar-themed work in collaboration between Antoine and me. 

Antoine: By changing the a of cachés to o, we get cochés, which means “to (make) check (marks),” a movement that loosely describes the process behind the pieces that make up my show. The work I will be exhibiting depicts scenes from daily life in the different cities I have lived in or visited. These scenes are suspended in time.