Sandra Langston

I have lived in Basilicata, Southern Italy, for over twenty years. I worked for the University of Texas excavations in Metaponto for many years, excavating all kinds of sites from Paleolithic to Greek. Living in a place immersed in tens of thousands of years of history has always been fascinating. I have always enjoyed the landscape as well, and the verticality in many of my paintings reflects that landscape. It has been sculpted relentlessly by nature, as well as by generations of hard-working hands. It is hilly, eroding, sometimes stark, but never monotonous. I hope that my work may provide viewers with a less-traditional view of Italy, and maybe even inspire a visit or two to this very special place.

The passage of time is a theme present also in my narrative work, as I have always been fascinated with the frozen bits of time in old photographs. My family has provided me with a wealth of these, and they served as inspiration for many of my earlier narrative paintings. The frequently amusing, sometimes absurd relations between women and men are timeless patterns, and the inspiration for many of my narrative pieces comes from my appreciation of the little ironies of these relationships. And yes, there is a pinch of feminism in them as well.