Spring Edition, Volume 8, No. 2
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Spring Edition, Volume 8, No. 2 |
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GREG LAUREN'S "SECRET" |
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In Secrets, I returned to the female figure as my subject, while continuing a stylistic theme of photographic qualities. There is an emphasis on body language as communication. The body, whether in the tension of one's muscularture, or the sway of the spine, or the largeness of a gesture, always reveals a person's story. When we look at someone we can't help but write his or her journey. I'm fascinated by the secrets we have. In the briefest of moments, we may think of that secret, and I'm interested in how that fraction of a second affects the body. In these works, what is not there is as important as what is seen. What is just beyond the boundaries of the paper may be the answer to the secrets we keep. All of the paper is Japanese from Hiromi Paper International. I have been using this paper for my last three shows. I love working with this paper quite simply because of its beauty, texture, quality, and responsiveness to my technique. I use varying weights, textures, colors, and I always love the way the paint moves across the paper, finding life in the natural landscape of the fibers. Spiritually, there is something about the paper, which bring life to my work. The paper has a history, which is very much embodied by my work. In my last show, Flashback, images of old family photographs inspired me. The paper was perfect to capture a sense of time, of life, of aging gracefully. In a time when technology tries to sterilize things in an attempt to perfect them, I try to embrace things, which reveal the work, the process, and the passage of time. Scars, a torn pair of jeans, a faded sweatshirt, a child's favorite pair of overalls, a mother's embrace, all make a person who they are. The combination of strength and flexibility in the paper parallels the ups and downs on like in a different way than canvas. I feel closer to the paper. The purity of this paper seems to be more responsive to my artistic expression. Greg Laurens work is on view at BGH Gallery-D4 Bergamot Station Art Center, through April 14, 2002 |
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 "Morning After" Oil on paper 2002, 58" x 58" |
 "Shell" Oil on paper 2002, 65" x 62" |
 "Sentence" Oil on paper 2002, 58" x 80" |
 "Climb" Oil on paper 2002, 58" x 80" |