About Us > Laura Lempke
Making people happy, however fleeting a sensation that may be, is, I believe, a worthy goal. From what I have observed and felt myself, beauty makes people happy; maybe not completely or forever, but happy nonetheless. Art is often defines as objects/images without discernable function and yet, it has also been consistently found to be vital in some way. It provides a necessary stimulation to humankind- intellectually, emotionally, and even physically. This stimulation adds dimension and depth to the human scope of life, at once expanding ones awareness beyond their isolated existence and narrowing their focus to their internal being. This is what I strive to do with my art. I strive to affect, to impact, my viewers in a way which adds to their overall happiness. I wish to convey ideas and concepts which stimulate/fascinate the mind in forms which are tantalizingly beautiful. The concepts themselves are not always beautiful. Some are harsh, calculating, or even painful, but out of all of these concepts, there is beauty to behold. It is then my purpose as an artist and individual who requires a worthy goal is to create/perpetuate beauty through the creation of art.
In my painting, I focus on depth of color and the use of light. Whether completely abstract or very graphic, the colors are vivid and sensual, the goal being to elicit a physiological response, to evoke a specific sensation or emotion.
My drawings leave color behind in favor of high contrast, almost stark images of great complexity both of form and, often, of subject matter. Dealing almost exclusively with the human form, my work twists and contorts, obscures and reveals people in a multitude of situations. The images are formed either with simply one layer or with layers upon layers of detail collapsed into a single plane. This is often initially confusing to the eye, forcing further examination as the viewersÕ eyes are drawn through the piece searching for some pattern or shape which will unravel the subject. Their eyes are drawn to searching for that which is hidden, forcing their mind to explore the multitude of possibilities.
My jewelry seeks to bridge the contrasting aims of my painting and drawing, to combine elements of each and thereby create something more complete. The stones and gems add the element of lush, vivid color and the involvement of light to the intricacy of which metalwork is capable. The metal too can be formed into simple shapes or built up into many delicate layers, drawing the eye further and further into the piece. These layers, however, need not be collapsed into a single plane, but instead are given further dimension and complexity by holding a three-dimensional shape.
-Laura Lempke