Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Stevens.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I began drawing on copper while studying at the Kansas City Art Institute. I was immediately drawn to how etching combines chemical experimentation with traditional drawing and composition. I quickly shifted from working privately in sketchbooks to creating art in labs filled with acid baths, metal shears, and printing presses.
I left KC to continue my studies at Arizona State, where I recently received my Masters in Fine Arts. I developed a thesis body of work that integrated traditional etching with silhouette animation to create a contemporary space of rest and spiritual contemplation.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I’m now navigating the unique challenges that come with becoming an independent artist after finishing school. I’m grateful for the opportunities I had to take on commissions while I was still a student, as those experiences have made this next chapter feel less like a leap in the dark. The rigor of graduate school has also made me a more efficient artist, but because my designs are so intricate and executed entirely by hand, I can’t produce work at the same pace as many others (humans) in the field.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m interested in what causes a person to experience wonder or awe and where these encounters are found in the modern world. In my research, I was considering the theatrics of opera houses and cinemas, and how they simulate an experience that makes storytelling profound. When I arranged the gallery with dramatic lighting and a darkened atmosphere, I wanted visitors to feel as though they had stepped into an eerie, otherworldly space as they moved through the story the images told.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
When I was creating my Divine Darkness series, I listened to all of the Harry Potter books for the first time. This was a very sweet read in the lab-setting I was in. I have always joked that studying copper etching in art school feels like learning some kind of Hogwarts wizardry.
I listened to a lot of the Symbolic World podcast, which encouraged me to read Tolkien’s translation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. I thought about how I would draw the dark, mossy Green Chapel that Gawain journeys to when I drew in my sketchbook at coffee shops.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Laurenstevensart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurenstevens_art/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lauren.stevens.75/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@laurenstevens_art
