Sara M. Zak at Peter A. and Mary Lou Vogt Gallery, Canisius College
by :
Yvonne K. Widenor
Published in May, 2020 in the early days of the Coronavirus Pandemic. Issue 3 of Cornelia was virtual only.
Sara M. Zak, Forget-me-nots, 2019. Installation view: Peter A. and Mary Lou Vogt Gallery, Canisius College
How does one package and present personal pain in a public forum? Forget-me-nots is the second of two installations created by Sara M. Zak for the Peter A. and Mary Lou Vogt Gallery at Canisius College to address this question. In 2016 Zak presented MISHAP—an exhibition of paintings and prints related to F-111 jet crash sites—in the same space. MISHAP referenced, in the words of the artist, “F-111 aviation deaths occurring between 1967 and 1994; of the 115 airmen to die in the F-111, 94 of them perished in training exercises.” These deaths impacted family, friends, and colleagues, and the death of her own father in one such incident led Zak to create Forget-me-nots.
This accumulation of rocks, a painting, moss, and a floor-based installation that simulates water was inspired by the artist’s poignant pilgrimage to her father’s crash site. Zak says of the journey: “My brother and I climbed Sgurr Na Stri (translated into “the peak of strife”) to visit my father’s last moments.” In the gallery, a bright blue canvas depicting pale floral forms and hazy images of floating figures hangs on the back wall; vertical shelves made from rock hang on either side of the small space. At the viewer’s feet are textured panels painted with swirling patterns of blue and green that conjure the look of shallow water. One can almost hear the sound of the water moving past the rock formations embedded in these panels. In addition to this calming imagery, with its direct references to earth, water, and sky, there is a cascade of worry stones laid out below the suspended canvas, and each visitor is invited to take one to connect with the healing powers of nature.
Forget-me-nots is an homage to Zak’s father, but it is also an exhibition for anyone struggling with loss and the effects of post-traumatic stress. Zak worked with organizers to open the exhibition on Veterans Day so that members of the Canisius College community could immerse themselves in the installation as part of their activities that day. For Zak, Forget-me-nots “is about healing, about wonder and awe . . . it’s about remembering all those who suffer trauma, feel pain, anger, emptiness, anxiety . . . it’s about letting go and holding on.”
Throughout the run of the exhibition, many members of the College community sought escape in the environment Zak created. The presence of these natural forms offered the senses a respite from screens, voicemail, and the commitments associated with coursework or research. During the stress of a semester’s end, everyone found peace in Forget-me-nots.
Sara M. Zak, Forget-me-nots, 2019. Installation view: Peter A. and Mary Lou Vogt Gallery, Canisius College
Yvonne K. Widenor is a Visiting Assistant Professor of art history at Canisius College and the director of ArtsCanisius, a year-long celebration of music, art, and art history. She is an avid museumgoer and previously held positions at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery and the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University.
Mary Lou Vogt Gallery, Canisius College
Bouwhuis Library
2001 Main St, Buffalo, NY 14208
