Lauren Brescia

Born and raised in Elmwood Park, IL, I now work out of a studio in Oak Park, IL in the Harrison Street Arts District. I received my BFA in Sculpture from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in 2009. I was previously pursuing a double major, studying Industrial Design which was both technically challenging and fascinating but I chose to focus solely on Sculpture, as I was more drawn to the creative liberties that the fine arts provide. After years of dance lessons and performances in “The Nutcracker”, I have cultivated an interest for performance art as well as for the theatrical arts, including costume, set, and prop design. Relatively, as an installation-based artist, my practice is an intuitive process about transforming or activating characteristics of the given space, much like a theater set. I enjoy experimenting in various mediums, incorporating everything from cake decorating, sewing, found objects, and industrial building materials, to photography, performance, and large-scale installation. In utilizing a wide range of atypical materials and a limited color palette, I reference the illusion of theatrical spectacle in my artwork. This summer, I was finally able to combine my passion for art and theater as an “emerging artist” build-shop intern with Redmoon Theater. My most recent art exhibitions include "Parlour", a solo show at the Durand Art Institute at Lake Forest College in January 2010, "Connected", a group show at the Rumble Arts Center in Humboldt Park featured as a part of Chicago Artists Month 2010, and "One Art, Please", which is currently on view at 208 S. Wabash as a part of Pop-Up Art Loop. I also participated in the first annual Art Loop Open, showing at Block 37, where I was named a top ten finalist out of 200 participating artists. Artist Statement: My art explores what it means to be a female artist creating work that falls into the domestic sphere and craft genres. In utilizing a wide range of atypical materials, I reference the illusion of theatrical spectacle. I employ conventions that transform the materials allowing the piece to become an imitation of real life and fantasy. My knowledge of cake decorating informs my work, emphasizing ideas of decadent excess, preservation, decay, and the grotesque in relation to the body. Working with mixed media, found objects, and a limited color palette, I produce pieces that are whimsical, nostalgic, and distortedly Victorian, embodying femininity and a kind of strange beauty.