I often think about why it is that contemporary abstract artists reference ornament in their work, while contemporary fashion houses take their inspiration from art. They both seem, at their essence, to be communicating in the same way. Ornament possesses its own references and context, akin to allegory and symbolism. It is more than a play with pure meaningless forms. The philosophical significance of ornamentation is as a means of giving visible form to the ineffable (e.g. infinity, purity, the divine). I draw on this tradition by making artwork a part of my spirituality. Ornament has been employed to embody paradisiacal notions, and I continue to use it in this way: to encapsulate our consciousness and reflect it back so as to emancipate our ways of thinking about our world and our selves.

Sarah Ellen Taylor
2007