Sarah Ball 'Themself'

S A R A H B A L L THEMSELF

He allowed himself to be swayed by his conviction that human beings 

are not born once and for all on the day their mothers give birth to them, 

but that life obliges them over and over again to give birth to themselves. 

Gabriel García Márquez, Love in the Time of Cholera

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Preface 

The reference for Sarah Ball’s exquisite 

portrait paintings come from in-depth 

research of an anonymous and eclectic 

range of historic photographic archives 

alongside more ubiquitous contemporary 

sources such as social media. These 

source images become a starting point for 

a methodical process of understanding, 

assumption and translation, where the 

aesthetic ‘mask’ and what lies beneath 

become the focus of engagement. 

Ball’s muses are mostly surrounded by 

muted backgrounds, which engender a 

profound sense of solitude. This aspect 

envelopes delicately rendered passages of 

oil paint, perhaps detailing the protagonists 

clothing or hair, often giving emphasis to 

a defining characteristic of the sitters 

visual identity. These intrinsic details 

are captured with intensity, revealing 

an intimacy combined and juxtaposed 

with more minimalist elements which 

reflect a greater sense of absence or 

disconnect. These components enshroud 

the luminescent skin of the subject, always 

anchored by deep pooling eyes which 

further captivate. However, Ball’s works 

also offer up a challenge to the viewer, 

often by confronting societal assumption 

and prejudice. Previous exhibition subjects 

have included historic photographic 

immigration archives alongside ‘mug 

shot’ archives of the accused. With 

‘Themself’, Ball’s broad lens is focussed 

upon idiosyncratic explorations in to the 

outer presentation of the ‘self’ which 

support, subvert, enhance, manipulate, 

exaggerate or elaborate upon traditional, 

binary norms, in areas including gender 

and sexuality. The artist, and in turn the 

viewers, response is key, where both are 

drawn in to an empathetic, unspoken 

dialogue with the anonymous protagonist 

of the work. ‘Themself’ relates to the 

conscious and subconscious factors which 

affect our assumptions and interactions, 

when forming the socially constructed 

characteristics which define us all in the 

21st Century. 

Joseph Clarke, 2019 

Izzy 

oil on gessoed panel, 20 x 15 cm 

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Izzy 

oil on gessoed canvas, 100 x 100 cm 

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Tim 


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Elise 


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Elise 


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Timothy 


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Ollas / Karl / G.V 

oil on gessoed panel, 18 x 13 cm each 

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Marie 


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Marie 


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Marie 

oil on gessoed panel, 18 x 13 cm each 

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Marie 


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Marie 


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Ella 


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Kirril 


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Elliot 


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Elliot 


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Elliot 


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Elliot 


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Tex 


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Biography 

Sarah Ball’s is a British artist born in 

Yorkshire, England in 1965. She currently 

lives and works in west Cornwall. 

Her practice relies on the gathering of 

found source material, from newspaper 

cuttings, archival photographs historical 

documentation, including criminal 

‘mug shot’ archives and immigration 

archives and more recently social 

media. She selects subjects with, and 

without, known narratives. From these 

images, Ball paints intricate portraits 

that re-establish the imagined life of 

the often anonymous, unknowing sitter. 

Physiognomy is a primary concern. This 

supposedly outdated practice, whereby 

character or morality are decided by the 

geometries of a face, was a common 19th 

century method, which dictated that an 

individual’s appearance was connected to 

their ethics and character. Sarah Ball’s 

paintings reflect her intrigue with these 

concepts and the history of the people 

she encounters. The painted portraits are 

placed upon a neutral background 

with space around them, allowing for a 

metaphorical clean slate so that the viewer 

can investigate each subject close up in 

intimate detail. The viewer is compelled 

to empathise with the subject and draw 

their own conclusions and perhaps 

contemplate how we still continue to 

judge others based on aesthetics and 

assumption. 

Sarah Ball studied at Newport Art College 

in the early 80s, followed by a MFA at Bath 

Spa University from 2003 - 2005. She has 

exhibited widely and Internationally. Her 

work has been shown at the Threadneedle 

Prize, The Royal Academy, Somerset 

House and The V&A Museum. Works 

are included in collections worldwide 

including The Rachofsky Collection and 

the British Museum permanent collection. 

Sarah Ball is represented by Anima Mundi 

where she has held five solo exhibitions 

to date. 

Tilly 


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Published by Anima Mundi to coincide with Sarah Ball ‘Themself’ 

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or 

by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publishers 

Photography by Joseph Clarke & Chris Morris 

Anima Mundi . Street-an-Pol . St. Ives . Cornwall . +44 (0)1736 793121 . mail@animamundigallery.com . www.animamundigallery.com

www.animamundigallery.com

Sarah Ball 'Themself'

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