Lauren Rock is a Utah based artist focused primarily in painting and drawing. Her artwork reflects a use of bold colors and whimsical subject matter with a nostalgic undertone. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Art Education from the University of Utah in 2019.
Since her senior year, she has been focused in educating all ages in the arts, especially senior citizens. After graduating, she interned at Clark Cushing Heritage Center in Murray, Utah where she taught weekly art classes and found her passion for working in the senior community. Following that, she continued teaching art to seniors with varying degrees of Alzheimers disease for three years.
She is currently scheduling private and group art lessons from her home in Santaquin,Utah. She will provide a well rounded curriculum, that builds the artist's confidence and skill level, with a better understanding and appreciation for the fine arts.
Artist Statement:
===========================================================
> My work is devoted to instilling a sense of nostalgia, inspired by the memories and fantasies from a childhood spent at the beginning of the digital age.The media we consumed, and products we used, played a vital part in awakening our imaginations, and molding us into the people we would become as adults.
> The early days of digital technology gave way to social media platforms that forced a constant re-evaluation of our former selves. Whether we are viewing photos from two years ago on Instagram, or 20 years ago in a photo album, we are constatly reminded of a previous life, making it almost impossible to live in the present. At the click of a button we are able to pull up photos of toys we used to play with, songs we used to love, or long-lost shows we watched even before forming our first conscious thoughts.
> The fond memories are pleasent to revisit, but often come with a sense of mourning. Whether true or not, the feeling that accompanies the euphoria of revisiting an old memory is a nauseating suspicion that things could never be as brilliant as they once were. Is it because everything was new and exciting when we were young? Or because things were genuinely better back then? Is it possible to retain that same enthusiasm for life?
> I aim to explore these questions through images of memorable places and products that influenced my own childhood, as well as many others’ at the time. I am profoundly inspired by the neon color palettes that dominated the 80s and 90s and their relation to light. This glow creates a sense of melancholy, similar to the often unnerving feeling of nostalgia.
> I use my art as a form of therapy that allows me to process these feelings of grief, in addition to reconnecting with my inner child. My exploration into nostalgia began as a way to process the change I was experiencing in life, and evolved into an analysis of the surrounding concept of life itself and the purpose of each phase within it. These questions guided me to create artwork that has allowed me to convey my search for purpose, and a sense of consistency.
> I want to explore the idea that perhaps we can still live our lives with a sense of excitement by connecting with the things that we once adored. Those bright colors, and sparkles that used to captivate us still exist, and the person who loved them is still present. So instead of keep up with the Joneses by pretending we love minimalism and the color beige, let’s indulge in a little bit of personality. Allow yourself to look eccentric in the name of being true to your inner child.
*** LAUREN ROCK ***
Powered By