Laurel Lukaszewski

Artist Statement

I am fascinated by repetitive forms found in nature, in patterns that seem to make sense out of chaos. I enjoy the poignancy that exists on the edge of celebration and loss, capturing the nostalgia that occurs when one suddenly experiences something long forgotten. Most of my installations identify with the idea of a moment captured in time, a nod to the concept originally from the Japanese tea ceremony of “ichi-go ichi-e” which translated means something close to “in one lifetime, one meeting” or “once in a lifetime.”

My works, whether created from extruded clay forms resembling three-dimensional line drawings or individually sculpted objects that multiply into the thousands, are often installed on-site in response to their surroundings, taking advantage of architectural elements or reacting to the way shadows play upon the work. These sculptural drawings develop much like graphite on paper, being built up or “erased” when pieces are added or removed. When the works are moved, they are dismantled and when reinstalled will be configured differently to respond to their new space. For me, this mutability is a fascinating and important aspect of the work, realizing that it will only exist as it is in the present.

Laurel Lukaszewski
2011

The Art Registry Gallery, Washington, DC	Gallery Entrance
Namida, stoneware, steel wire, 2011	Dependency, stoneware, steel rod and wire, 2011
Cloud and The Path of Water, porcelain, 2011	The Path of Water, porcelain, tacks, 2011
The Path of Water, top view	The Path of Water, wall detail
The Path of Water, floor view	The Path of Water and Nami
Gallery wall: Nami, Horizon, Bound, Sway & Beauty, stoneware, 2011	Bound (wall), stoneware, steel wire, 2011; Beauty, stoneware, 2011; Sway, stoneware, 2011
White Petals (wall), porcelain, glaze, 2011; Wandering, porcelain, 2011	Cloud, porcelain, 2011
Dependency, stoneware, steel rod and wire, 2011; Aki, porcelain, 2011	Aki, porcelain, tacks, 2011