Shelley Snodgrass

Capturing Stillness

Through the practice of yoga I have grown stronger and feel more balanced both physically and emotionally. I wanted to create artwork that reflected those feelings.

I approached each image by building from the outside-in. I started with a drawing and distilled it down to shapes that described in an abstract way the muscles, movement and form of the body working in the asana. Inspired by Henri Matisse’s Cut-Outs, I transformed the shapes I created to paper and applied them to a background. From there, I worked shaping wire, thinking of it like bones creating structure, but still reinforcing the flow and energy of the pose. I bound the wire to the body by sewing with a needle and thread. I kept the stitches close to the joints and areas of juncture where bones might meet in the physical body.

My own yoga practice helped inform the creation of these pieces. Because I have been in these poses, I know how my body feels in them—which areas are heavy and which are broad and open.

The poses I chose for this series are some of my favorite to practice. I always enjoy the challenge that each one presents, to both the mind and the body.