Before There Were Houses: Sage Tucker-Ketcham | Gallery Reception

Before foundations were laid, before shelter took shape, a wild tangle of root and stem stirred beneath the Earth’s surface. In Before There Were Houses, Sage Tucker-Ketcham strips away the architectural markers that once anchored her work, turning instead to the observation of unique botanical matter often overlooked during daily walks. Building interconnected worlds based upon intentional viewing offers insight into the commodity of time: the more time we spend looking, the more we see; the more we see, the more we are able to reflect on how we choose to engage with the world.

Through slow accumulations of oil paint, glazes, and sprays, Tucker-Ketcham uses her mastery of techniques to build ecosystems that shimmer between memory and vision, where lifecycles of flora bloom and retreat in saturated, dreamlike hues. These are not tidy gardens but thick, infused atmospheres where foliage emerges as a tangled expression of resilience.

This exhibit invites us to observe with contemplation; to give ourselves time to be drawn into the depths of the work, to feel the long gaze of observation, and to get lost in the sentimental details of a lifelong creative practice.

Sage Tucker-Ketcham (b. 1978, Randolph, VT) is a 14th generation Vermonter. She has been a practicing artist for over 20 years, with work in both public and private international collections. She is also an adjunct faculty member teaching painting in Creative Media.