Emotion is a liquid or liquefying substance that pours into a person and dissolves him.
- Anne Carson
Stepping into an artist’s studio opens the door to a level of creative intimacy seldom experienced by most. More, the experience amplifies the importance of supporting emerging artists; suddenly you see what’s at stake and everything that brave creatives pour into their work for the experiential pleasure of others becomes a personal and visceral experience. Beyond the thrill that surges through me standing in front of a masterpiece on a museum wall, or the satisfaction I feel when I’ve finally found just the perfect artwork for a unique space, nothing quite makes me love being an art advisor more than knowing the privilege of an artist showing me a corner of their world.
A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of visiting artist Loren Erdrich in her studio. We spoke about the effects that this last year has had on her own practice and the art work at large; we rejoiced in our joint love of poetry; we connected as humans, both enthralled in our own way by the thing that makes our world go round, art. Loren’s pigments are dreamy. There is something about the way she applies them with water to the surface, as if it’s bleeding through the canvas.
A woman artist, with a wicked level of intelligence and charisma to boot! Her works are unrestrained. They gush. We are held captive. In many cases, certainly here, images speak louder than words.
“I lean towards moments which dissolve the separation between outside and inside, me and you, this world and the other-worldly.”
SIX QUESTIONS FOR LOREN:
E- What is your favorite music to listen to while you paint?
L- Depends on my mood! I usually put on a Spotify playlist, or an artist's radio, and just let it play. A few of my go-tos are Frank Ocean, Lovefingers, Swedish Psychedelic Rock, the Pixies, and Free Soul 500.
E- What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
L- Really good writing turns me on creatively - it's less about the storyline and more about the actual writing. It is something about the way certain writing leads me to an image, feeling or relationship and perhaps because it is text it is up to my imagination to fill in the blanks visually. I'm also turned on by place. Getting to spend extended periods of time out of the city in places of physical natural beauty slows me down, creates space in my practice, and allows me to release any pressure I may be feeling in the studio. Usually these times are very fruitful for me creatively and even though I don't get to experience them often, I rely on them to help me overcome obstacles in my studio practice.
E- What turns you off?
L- Pressure.
E- Favorite movie?
L- Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away.
E- Favorite destination?
L- I'm a water person so anywhere with water. I love the ocean. It can be cold or warm, arctic or tropical. There is something about its power and vastness that produces a constant state of awe in me.
E- A work of art by another artist that has recently moved you?
L- The small purple painting in Katherine Bradford's recent show at Canada in Tribeca.
E- For the aspiring young collectors out there, why collect?
L- To surround yourself with things that move you.
"My work conjures a world in which softness and vulnerability are celebrated instead of shamed. I reconsider porousness and malleability as forces of strength and connection.”
“Water, the ultimate disobeyer of boundaries, takes a primary material role in my process - synthetic and organic pigments and dyes are applied unbound, mixed solely with water, to paper, canvas and other fabrics.”
I'd like to thank Loren again , not only for allowing me the opportunity to spend an afternoon getting to know her creative process, but also for allowing me to share wit her some insights that I've gained over the last two decades emersed in the art world.
Over the coming months I will be sharing more of these experiences with my readers, artists and admirers of art alike. Soon, I may even fill you in on the upcoming launch of an interactive course, coming Summer/Fall 2021!!
Stay tuned to find out how you can further get a glimpse of these intimate experiences and ensure that our emerging artists keep doing that thing they do, that thing we love, art.
Thank you for reading this far. Questions or comments: emily@mcelwreath.co
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"It is idle to fault a net for having holes."
Maggie Nelson
The Argonauts
Artist Bio:
Loren Erdrich has been awarded residencies at the Jentel Foundation, Burren College of Art, Santa Fe Art Institute, thrice at Art Farm Nebraska, Sculpture Space and the Vermont Studio Center. Notable accomplishments include publication in ARTMAZE Mag and exhibitions with Harper’s, The Untitled Space, Proto Gomez and Field Projects in New York, Wasserman Projects in Detroit and Anima Mundi in the UK. Erdrich frequently collaborates with the poet Sierra Nelson, coauthoring the award winning I Take Back the Sponge Cake (published by Rose Metal Press) and Isolation (limited edition, 2020). She holds a MFA from the Burren College of Art at the National University of Ireland, a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and a BA from the University of Pennsylvania. Erdrich lives and works in New York, NY.
