Behind the scenes of my new work
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Dear reader,
In April, I felt a sudden ping of inspiration. It came from seeing my friend spend the weekend cutting magazines and pasting images to the front of blank notebooks. I texted her saying how fun they looked. She replied, letting me know I could make one with her the next time I saw her.
I visited her in Philly a couple of weeks later and spent the day walking around the city. Back at her house, she showed me some of her latest finds, and then she got out her supplies and handed them to me to start collaging. It felt sort of funny at first. We reminisced about how I practically have a bachelor’s degree in collage — how I spent the majority of my undergrad study building bodies of work that contemplated the built environment and used collage as a material to convey my story. And how after graduating, I thought I’d never make another collage again.
Finite sentences are funny like that. They seem to always hold the irony of the whole thing. But something tugged at me from that day. And I felt the sudden urge to keep exploring collage, and lean into this new excitement.
When I returned home, I ordered some old magazines on eBay and eagerly awaited their arrival. Once I got my package, I spent a weekend just clipping what interested me. This is awareness and attention. I made piles and piles of textures, colors, and pictures. And then I started piecing them together.
At some point, I scanned the small collages I created. I found my old iPad, and downloaded the Photoshop app. I opened my scanned images and started editing them digitally.
It was in between all of this when I started to realize that maybe all along I was on to something during my undergrad days. I felt fresh and inspired. Like suddenly so much of it made sense. It felt like a way to bring together a lot of how I think about my art and how I feel so at home in my process. So I kept going. I kept making more collages, all while pushing the boundaries of what I knew. I began playing around with more than just my magazine clippings. I scanned over fifty assets around my studio, pulling things from my printmaking and analog photography.
I began printing my collages. And hanging them around my studio. When I look at them, I have the same excitement I had when this endeavor began. I feel limitless working in this way. Printmaking, photography, drawing — they all make their way into my new collages. I practice awareness. I offer attention. And then I do my best to collect and capture the moments around me.
This is a big step for me. And at the same time, I know it’s the right one. I’m trusting my intuition. Leaning into my process.
When you begin working in new ways, you have to trust the process. Be available to all it has to teach you. Embrace its openness. Make mistakes. Try again. Evolve, change, mature. Give yourself the time and space to let things fully develop as they intend.
Welcome to this new way of working. I can’t wait to share all that I have created this summer with you later this month. Join the waitlist to be the first to know when new work is available (+ receive a special bonus when the shop opens!).
Talk soon,
Lauren
Currently reading: Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Currently watching: The Summer I Turned Pretty
Currently making: This shelf for my living room
Listen to: Conversations, the latest Viewfinder episode
If we haven’t had the pleasure of meeting—I’m Lauren Sauder, an artist, writer, and mentor. If you enjoyed this post, here are a few ways you can connect with me:
Download the Artist Mixtape—a mix of books, playlists, and residencies to provide inspiration and company in the studio.
Receive letters from me—bi-weekly letters from me about what I’m working through in my creative practice and life.
Enlist me as your mentor—if you are a creative interested in support and guidance to grow your creative practice.
Get in touch with me directly—send an email to laurensauderstudio@gmail.com.