Artist Statement

Artist Statement

My body of work includes primarily intricate grayscale realism drawings which reflect on the nature of recollection and address ways in which human emotions and experiences are shaped by subtle imprints of the past and their ability to inform the future. By paying close attention to the rendering of light, detail, and texture, I aim to reinforce the idea that memory is fragile and often pieced together from fragments that are vivid, yet elusive, and continuously reconstructed while exploring interwoven connections between memory, nostalgia, and mental health.

Additionally, my work places an emphasis on sensory details of everyday life that are seemingly overlooked but subconsciously stored by the mind with intense clarity. For example, the drawings in my collection, Sensory Imprints, are constructed entirely from memory as a method of preserving my personal tactile encounters which have no other form of documentation. This reconstruction process allows me to rekindle connections from my past while encouraging viewers to reflect on the tenacity of memory and question why certain details are preserved vividly while others fade or become rewritten over time.

Another key collection, The Mice and the Marbles, explores obsessive-compulsive behavior by referencing a scientific study that uses marbles and mice to develop treatments for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. The literal depiction of the test subjects in my work serves as a metaphor for the tension between control and chaos. This theme resonates across my larger body of work, where memories fall victim to rumination and objects become relics, embodying emotions like longing, fear, and relief.

In my collection of 4" x 4" graphite drawings, Time Capsules, I depict small trinkets from my childhood, transforming them into souvenirs and symbols of reminiscence and sensory attachments. Fossils, another recurring motif in my practice, echo this act of preservation and represent resilience and the deciphering of personal and familial history, long term memory, and the human psyche. Through the exploration of these themes, I create works which provide a space for viewers to connect with universal experiences like healing, dedication, and the passage of time.

Bio

Lauren is a Fine Artist from Greenville, SC, earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Fine Arts with a minor in Art History from Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, FL. Currently, she is pursuing a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree with a specialization in Drawing, Painting, and Printmaking at the Ernest G. Welch School of Art and Design, Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA. Her work has been displayed in institutions and galleries across the United States, including New Hampshire Institute of Art (Manchester, NH), Crocker Art Museum (Sacramento, CA), Center for Creative Arts (St. Louis, MO), South Bend Museum of Art (South Bend, IN), Pratt Manhattan Gallery (New York, NY), Art Ovation Hotel (Sarasota, FL), and the U.S. Department of Education and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (Washington, D.C.). Additionally, her work has also been featured in Strokes of Genius 9: Creative Discoveries/The Best of Drawing published by North Light Books.