The Point

A woman with brown hair and glasses stands with her eyes closed, gently touching a large, intricately designed artwork mounted on the wall. The artwork has a textured surface with soft pastel colours and geometric patterns that radiate from a central point, creating an atmospheric, meditative scene.

Image: Jules Lister

From 31st January 2025

Sarah Jane Palmer’s artistic journey is incredibly rich and layered, weaving together personal narratives and broader cultural themes. The way she connects to her family history—like her grandmothers’ humour and her grandfather’s fading memory—with the Nottingham lace trade creates a profound commentary on memory and legacy. Sarah’s father’s experience with Charles Bonnet Syndrome adds another dimension, transforming his altered perception into a collaborative artistic exploration that invites viewers to contemplate how we see and interpret the world around us.

Her quest for spiritual connection through the British Isles and the pilgrimage to stone circles adds an intriguing layer of mysticism and exploration of place and has transformed these experiences into art that engages multiple senses, inviting viewers to not just see but feel and interact with her work.

Sarah focuses on the interplay between vision and experience, particularly through tactile and subtle patterns, seems to resonate with her themes of memory and perception. It’s a thoughtful way to make complex ideas accessible, encouraging deeper engagement and reflection. Sarah says:

My artwork intertwines personal experiences and family connections, exploring themes of memory, perception, and pattern. This new collection of 12 pieces, ‘Periphery’, grew out of a pivotal moment in 2017 when my father, after losing vision due to a brain tumour, described intricate iridescent lace-like patterns in his peripheral vision, a phenomenon known as Charles Bonnet Syndrome. This inspired some collaborative paintings that explored his altered perception during the pandemic where I attempted to make visible what he was describing. My artistic journey for the development of this new work also included a quest for spiritual connection, leading me to pilgrimage through twelve stone circles in the British Isles, where I engaged in rituals and experienced personal revelations. In this work I aim to create art that reflects these periphery experiences, using subtle, tactile patterns that invite viewer interaction, emphasizing the blurred lines between vision and experience on multiple sensory levels.

More information about Sarah Jane Palmer and her practice can be found at this website.

Periphery will be on display in the gallery at The Point from 31st January to the 16th May 2025.

Images: Jules Lister

A round piece of artwork features intricate geometric patterns in pastel colours, primarily yellow and iridescent hues. The design radiates from a central point, resembling a mandala, enhanced by soft lighting that highlights the details. The artwork is hanging on a white wall, with a second circular piece visible on the right side.

A circular artwork with an intricate pattern resembling a mandala design in mint green, mounted on a white wall. The centre is slightly raised, drawing attention to the detailed textures radiating outward.

A circular artwork features a complex, low-relief design with geometric shapes and floral-type motifs in soft, lilac colours. The artwork is centred on a plain white wall, emphasising its delicate features and intricate detailing.

A round artwork displayed against a white wall, featuring a light blue background with intricate lace-like patterns radiating from the centre. The design is symmetrical, with curving lines and loops that create an elaborate visual texture.

Gallery at The Point opening times

Our Gallery is at the heart of the building and inspires children, families and adults to be creative – whether you are visiting independently or are taking part in the many activities that happen within the Gallery space. Click here for opening times.

All exhibitions are open to the public, but we do sometimes close the space for events, or you may visit at a time when creative activity is taking place so the space might be noisier than you expect!

Please do phone 01302 341662 before visiting to check what’s on – especially if you are travelling in to Doncaster.

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