Laumee Fries

“Punk is not about clothing or hairstyles. It is about the energy drawn from a broken heart in the face of a relentless fate. It’s the ability to read between the lines and to stand one’s ground.“ Glen Matlock (former bass player fort the Sex Pistols)

 

“Obstacles are not blocking the path. They are the path.” Zen saying

Artist Statement

My job as an artist is to poke tiny holes in the perception of reality – to shed light on all things that are abandoned, neglected, or hidden out of sight.

I want my audience to remember that there is more to life than what we think is acceptable – in each one of us and in society. In my work I am looking for the fragile beauty and poetry of existence. But also, for the creative strength, that lurks in dark places and for the wildness in the things we neglect.

Materials

I create abstract and figurative paintings with homemade natural paint and earth pigments. For my illustrative drawings I use pencils, charcoal, and ink and let myself be inspired by myths and my own stories. I also make textile art with natural materials like wool, linen, and old and abandoned clothing.

About my art

When I paint, I add layer upon layer. The more I add the deeper I dig it seems.  It’s like I want to find the hidden core underneath it all.

My drawings are bold and fragile at once. They show either moments of stillness or moments of movement.

When working with textiles I am fascinated by turning old cloth into something new by mending, stitching, and painting.

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My quest as an artist – and the story behind it

My artistic quest is to excavate what we like to keep hidden – and to remind us, that we all belong.

I guess, his has a lot to do with my own experiences. Early in life I learned that there are many things I should keep quiet and even feel ashamed about – like the fact that my father was a violent alcoholic.

To get away from all this, I often escaped into nature – playing in the mud or running through the vineyards with my dog.

A wild and troublesome friend

Besides nature, art has always been my truest ally – because it was my way of communicating with the world.

But I soon realised that this ally can also be a source for trouble. In school I was scorned for it and my attempts to enter art school once resulted in a letter saying that I completely lack talent. That was a blow. But I went on nevertheless – not realizing that my art more and more shrank.

Secrets, a bulky suitcase, and a turning point

Looking back now, it felt like I was carrying my art and secrets around in a far too bulky suitcase – one that I was not supposed to own, but that was chained to my wrist. The damn thing slowed my down, because it was so heavy. I was too afraid to unpack it – because I believed I was not allowed too. But a part of me rebelled. Because like my art, I guess I am both fragile and bold. Secretly I took out things at random – but only when I was out of sight. So, I never quit making art. I only made it in secret. What a paradox, because I had a lot of successful art shows when I started out – despite what art schools and teachers told me. But looking back now, I think my unresolved childhood trauma put more and more pressure on me.

Until one day I broke apart – literally. In 2018 I had a sepsis and ended up in a coma. When I awoke, I couldn’t move, talk or see properly. Luckily, I still had all my limbs. In the following year I learned to walk, talk, think and paint again. And I also learned to look inside myself to see the beauty and strength in all that lay hidden inside that suitcase.

A new persepective

I have unpacked that suitcase. Today I wear the garments with a smile on my face – the beautiful ones as much as the weird and the torn. My experiences taught me so much – that life is short and that we are all in it together. And that we should embrace what we abandoned and thought of as not good enough. That is my quest in my art – to dig deep for all that we left behind and to encourage to embrace it all.

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Do you want poetry, art and inspiration in your everyday life? Then visit my gallery and discover my drawings and paintings. Or subscribe to my newsletter full of inspiring stories and art