31831×5, 6′ x 51″, Colored pencil on paper, 2013
Briefly describe the work that you do.
I explore the process of mark making which has become my main focus—also, the idea of transferring or even destroying my work. That is, I often use tape to transfer the graphite from one composition to another. This causes one work to become less “perfect” while transferring the image to a new work. When the first work is destroyed, or degraded, it adds flaws and thus more personality and character to the original piece, while recreating it in a new piece, or, in the case of my triptychs, in two more ways. The first piece ceases to exist, it sacrificed itself to become something new. I liken this to life, aging, and growing as a person. When one’s former self disintegrates to become a new, more mature person.
At what point in your life did you decide to become an artist?
I started college pursuing an engineering degree, but it wasn’t until I took a drawing class as an elective that I found my true passion in life—art. Before taking that drawing class, I considered myself a self-taught artist, I never thought I could actually make a career out of it, until I talked to my art professor and looked into to the program.
Tell us a little about your background and how that influences you as an artist.
I grew up in Acapulco; a city situated in the south of Mexico in a semi-circular bay that is a popular tourist destination. My father was a singer and my mother a business owner. As a child I was always surrounded by music. I watched my father composing music and singing on a daily basis. My father’s passion and commitment to his career has been one of the major influences to me as an artist. I dropped out of school at young age and started working in my family’s business, where I learned about commitment and responsibility. In my free time I would spend mostly by myself, and began creating journals that consisted mainly of drawings, and some poetry expressing my feelings along with a drawing related to it. I had a very deep emotional and spiritual connection with my journals, where drawing would take me into a meditative state of mind. That’s when drawing became a very personal and significant aspect of my life.
Interference 1, 2 & 3, 6′ x 51″ each, Triptych, graphite and tape on paper, 2012
What types of conceptual concerns are present in your work? How do those relate to the specific process(es) or media you use?
Repetition, deconstruction, transformation, interference and exploring the idea of appreciating things that can be taken for granted: Such as time, life experiences and memories are my main conceptual concerns at the time. I mainly work on large scale and transcribe all of these ideas into mark making. I use tally marks to represent time and question how we make our time count in things that matter. I create pieces that consist of excessive mark making and use tape to deconstruct, transform and represent interference. I write memories and life experiences to carve them on different surfaces, and use each letter as a mark.
We once heard Chuck Close say he did not believe in being inspired, rather in working hard everyday. What motivates you in your studio practice?
What motivates me is my commitment to my work. I have created a relationship with my art that requires time, responsibility and hard work. The more time I spend working, the more I can challenge and push myself into working in more complex compositions.
32856×5, 6′ x 51″, Colored pencil on paper, :2013
What artists living or non-living influence your work?
Mark Rothko
Heike Weber
Agnes Martin
Yayoi Kusama
When you are not making art what types of activities and interests do you engage in?
Hiking
Off-roading
Visit museums and galleries
Spend time with my loved ones and watch movies
About
Laura Turon is an emerging artist, recently graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Studio Art with double concentration in Drawing and Graphic Design, a minor in Painting and a certificate in Exhibition Practices. She was born on August 7, 1987 in El Paso Texas, where she lived until age four. She was raised in the south of Mexico in the City of Acapulco where she remained living until 2001. Then moved to Ciudad Juárez and began work at her family’s business where she stayed for five years. In 2007 she moved to El Paso where she remains and has established her studio. Her work has been exhibited in galleries throughout El Paso and she has curated exhibitions for local city events.
The Studio
All images copyright of the artist and used with their permission.
365 Artists | 365 Days 