Process
Process and outcome intertwined
Laura’s work is process based which means in her case process and outcome are intertwined. A series of work often starts with photography, even when the outcome is not. She uses various techniques and materials and experiment is an important part of this process. Her work is made intuitively and associatively based on her observations.
Her process usually consists of going somewhere, immerse, observe, take photo’s, analyze, combine, print, add, remove, assemble and often photography again. She loves to travel to collect her photographic materials and also to visit botanical gardens, where everything comes together for her. Laura is eager to learn a new technique every couple of years: toyobo printing, cyanotype, silk screen printing, riso printing, bookbinding, gel printing or working with transfers (planned for this summer). There is so much to learn!
Play
Once in a while Laura feels the urge to do something completely different, she likes to call it ‘Play’. A couple of years ago she started to draw with ink and Japanese brushes, just as play and at one point these series of landscapes came together without a single photograph. The next series she created was inspired by these ink drawings but again based on photography, abstract but still.
Another project are the brooches made from the beads Laura got from her grandmother. Some of these beads are from the seventies. Laura once was on her way to become a goldsmith before going to art school. So once in a while she likes to address that side of her, although without the precious metals silver and gold.
The compositions made from adhesive film also originate of a play phase. And it really is about the play. Just colour, form and composition.
Some of the adhesive film compositions became the artwork for a bunch of handmade notebooks and cahiers. Since 2024 Laura is enrolled in a bookbinders course led by a master bookbinder to eventually make her own artist books. Lately she has been working on the coptic stitch and some variations. All the bindings are handmade.
In addition she enjoys workshops focused on the content of artist books and the process of editing and sequencing of the images/work.
Recently she started creating collages with images from old books and often these are a combination of found and selfmade images. She usually stays far away from using other people’s images but for play it is fine;-)
Shop talk
Laura creates collages, drawings and mixed media pieces which are being shown and sold as the originals they are but depending on the project she uses reproductive photography as well to adjust the size to what the work needs. Both photographed pieces and actual photography are being printed in an edition of 5 with 2AP. With some projects she sells postcards and/or posters (soon) in addition.
Buy directly from the artist
Although being an advocate for buying art directly from the artist a (very) small selection of her work is for sale at the Pennings Foundation. This sounds paradoxical but sometimes you need to seize an opportunity and try something different;-)
If you are interested to meet the artist in the studio, feel free to make an appointment. Just send an email to lnieuwenhuis@gmail.com.
