Artist of the Month December 2010

Lauren Alyssa Howard

New York, NY

Lauren Alyssa Howard was born and raised in a small town in Southeastern Alabama.  After moving to the Metro-Atlanta area in 1996, she attended the University of Georgia where she received her Bachelors of Fine Arts with an emphasis in Drawing.  She currently resides in New York City after having received her Masters of Fine Arts degree.  Her current work reflects growing up in Southern Alabama, particularly that of a Southern Baptist household, via investigations through texture, color, and form.  Drawing from her rural upbringing, Howard uses references from a particular lower-middle working class history to address identity, gender, and place. Her work has been exhibited nationally and has been shown in the Tampa Museum of Art’s, “Art After Dark,” Wichita Center for the Art’s, “Pastel National Exhibition,” and The Contemporary Art Museum of Tampa’s, “Closure.”

How and when did you start creating art?

This is a hard question.  I could give the most common answer and say  “since I could pick up a crayon” (which is true, from what I can remember), but really making art that went beyond skill and became more conceptual, I would have to say it was in the last few years of undergrad.  It was always known that art  would be my career, but it was not until this point in my life that I had leaned all the basics of art so that I could begin to grow my work in a more conceptual way.

What media and genres do you work in?

I was ‘trained’ as a Drawer/ Painter, particularly figurative/ realistic, but my grad program and growth as an artist changed all that.  The program was an interdisciplinary art program.  I was given the tools to branch out and bring many different influences and media into my own practice.  Thus, I began to go beyond the flatness of the paper or canvas in order that the work be more encompassing.  I want the viewer to literally be able to experience my work with his or her own senses.  Being able to ‘be’ in a piece is important to me.

Who or what are your influences?

I have many influences all the way from Manet to Jenny Saville, from Joseph Cornell and Rauschenberg to Mark Dion and David Altjemed.  I like to think viewers can see these tiny instances of influence within my work.

(There’s a Special Place in Heaven…) - I was thinking a lot about space.  As I mentioned previously, I was struggling with the flatness of the image.  I wanted my work to be more immersive. I met Mark Dion and was instantly inspired.  I love the juxtaposition of something from the outside displayed in the pristine environment of the museum.  He created small environments where one could actually reside for a short period of time.  Creating environments feels very natural to me.  I think it has something to do with ‘Southern Domesticity’ and feeling compelled to decorate.

Describe your creative process?

Process is a funny word in that I work quite intuitively.  I take from my artistic influences, definitely, but it all goes in through the senses, mixes, and comes out as what you see.  So it’s very hard to talk about actual process for me.  

What are you working on currently?

I have a few going at the moment, but I will share one:  A series of drawings.  Graphite on paper.  Very minimal.   Dealing with the Longleaf Pine, Alabama’s State Tree.

What are your near/long term goals as an artist?

Simply to make and to show.  I would like to be able to show my work internationally- this is my next goal.

Where can people view/purchase your work (gallery, website, etc)?

Those interested may contact me via my website: www.LaurenAlyssaHoward.com