Sarah Gay-O'Neill - Haunted

18x24 oil & graphite on paper

Documenting relics are a common occurrence in my work. I am fascinated by the things we leave behind; what others have left behind before us. I find them haunting and intriguing. Everything from the coins I receive upon making a purchase, wondering: "What has this penny from 1940 bought in it's days...? How many hands has it passed through? Did it purchase good or bad things?".
In the past few years I've been particularly taken with old homes and clothes. They keep reappearing in my work. I am completely taken by how these relics outlive the people who have worn/lived in them. What experiences did they have in those clothes, shoes, homes, etc?
I am haunted. Delightfully haunted with curiosity.