ARTIST STATEMENT
I am interested in the ways in which my work questions the connotations of everyday, mundane objects. I am fascinated by individuals’ suggested intimacy with familiar objects such as bedsheets, prescription pills, hair, needles, dust, and lights. By removing these objects out of context, I ask, “is the relationship altered? Does the viewer create an alternate relationship?” Within my work, I attempt to question the original association of these objects by abstracting them through the lens of the photocopier, cell phone camera, or computer scanner. Through my prints, artist books, and participatory installations, I attempt to challenge the viewer’s relationship and perception of the altered objects. My works range from small intimate prints or books to large prints that challenge the viewer’s size. I rely heavily on the viewer’s desire to engage in a state of mental suspension, where the dualities under/above, inside/outside, and light/dark have collapsed. I relate this idea to my use of mundane objects to evoke feelings of loss. I continue my investigation using unconventional substrates like paper or commonplace of the photocopier because of its ability to equalize the object being captured without elevating the object to an art object.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Lauren Cardenas is a Latinx studio artist who focuses on print media. Her current body of work asks the viewer to question the connotations of everyday mundane objects. She is investigating her bifurcated Mexican American identity as a subject matter. Cardenas holds a BA in Painting, Printmaking and Drawing from Southwestern University in Georgetown, TX, she is a Tamarind Institute PTP graduate and holds an MFA in Visual Art with a focus in Print Media from Washington University in St. Louis. Her artwork has been exhibited nationally and internationally. She was awarded the University of Nevada, Reno Black Rock Press Redfield Fellowship (16-18). She created a limited edition artist book titled “Things You See in the Dark,” which is a collaboration with poet Daniel Enrique Perez. She currently is the Assistant Professor of Printmaking at Louisiana University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.