2dartist We speak to Lauren Marx about her beautifully savage imagery that explores interconnectivity of life in this sneak peek at issue 131…
Hello Lauren! Thanks for talking to 2dartist. First off, could you introduce yourself with a bit about your background and projects?
Thank you so much for interviewing me! I currently live (and grew up) in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. I received my BFA in 2014 at a local university, Webster University. I began my current “style” in 2012 during my second year of undergraduate studies. I now work on my art full-time in an attempt to push myself and my work. Currently I am working on my upcoming solo show at the Corey Helford Gallery, Los Angeles, in November. My work revolves around the beautiful violence of nature and uses interacting plants, animals, fungi, and insects. All of my pieces are created mainly using pen and ink on paper.
‘The Sweet Song of Summer’ 2015, ballpoint pen, ink, ink pencils, colored pencil, graphite, and gel pen on hot-pressed watercolor paper, 24 x 18 ¼ inches
What, or who, encouraged you to take up a career as an artist?
I was mostly encouraged by my mother. She always encouraged me to pursue what I wanted in life and never doubted me for a minute. She is so incredibly supportive of me and my art.
‘Antilocapra americana’
2015, ballpoint pen, Ink pencils, acrylic ink, marker, colored pencil, graphite, and gel pen on hot-pressed watercolor paper, 18 ¼ x 24 inches
You have said that your work explores the interconnectivity of life, can you tell us more about these ideas?
I have always been obsessed with my mortality and how I fit into the world; I have a strong fear of death, which is a bit silly. I try to explore the place of living things in the world through my work, as a way of dealing with this fear, I think. Many of the inspirations for my pieces come from the “circle of life”, the star dust theory, life, and death. I see life as a transference of energy and emotion, which I illustrate by having my flora and fauna interact in a very immortal way such as the “recycling” of my creatures into new creatures. They are almost like their own ecosystems existing in their own universe.
‘Collared Doves’
2015, ballpoint pen, ink pencils, liquid ink, colored pencils, graphite and gel pen on multi-media paper, 15 ¾ x 22 ¾ inches
Your work often simultaneously captures both life and death; beauty and savagery. How do you find balance in your works between such disparate themes?
I think that those themes will always have that balance no matter what. You cannot recognize one without the other in any piece of art that uses those themes. I feel like I must acknowledge both every time I create a piece and focusing on the violence of nature addresses everything at once. I am not sure if any works are truly balanced, since that is not my goal, but I am glad that they have that feeling to them.
‘Demeter’ 2015, ballpoint pen, ink, colored pencil, gel pen, marker, graphite on hot-pressed watercolor paper, 12 x 12 inches)
Where do you turn to for inspiration? Are there any artists you like to reference?
For me inspiration is everywhere. I am inspired by forests, parks, all sorts of museums, scientific illustrations, non-objective painting, zoos, and so on. I love to reference John James Audubon the most.
To read the rest of Lauren’s interview, get issue 131 here!