Interview
Laura Sallade
Laura Sallade lives and works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
She completed her Certificate in Sculpture from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in 2013. Since then, she has participated in numerous exhibitions in Philadelphia, New York, California, and Montana.
Along with these exhibitions, Laura has completed work for The Ritz Carlton, Temple University, Atlantic Aviation Airport, The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Vail Resorts, Anthropologie Clothing Stores, and Dualtone Music Group. Her work is held in numerous private collections worldwide.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“As a child I was always gaining my best understanding of the world through observation, drawing, materiality, and making; so naturally, I pursued an education in the arts. I never was able to imagine myself doing anything else. Studying sculpture at The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia, I received a classically based education with a strong studio program. I thrived in this program because it hinged so much on each student's willingness to follow their own curiosities. I received an honorary fifth year of study at PAFA and a grant for travel, which really helped to crystalize some of the ideas in my work.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“I am always looking at the relationship between the light and the material. This past year, I began experimenting with new materials and techniques, such as house paint, resin, squeegees and reductive solvents. This new body of work is emerging from the urban landscape of Philadelphia.
Drawing on the city’s layered facades as inspiration, I am exploring ideas of urban tensions which are evident through these surfaces’ embedded histories. Bringing in the silver, with its luminescence and occasional reflective marks, I am using this process as a way of coming to terms with my own thread which runs through this fabric of urban chaos.”
How would you describe your work?
“I describe my work as wall hung glass works. ‘Abstract’ has been used to describe it, but ‘non-objective’ seems to be the term used more often these days. They are reflective, so it can catch the eye, yet nuanced if a viewer is willing to pay close attention. One thing is for certain - my works are best experienced in person.”
“My works are sculptural, and yet more and more over the last five years they read like paintings.”
Which artists influence you most?
“There are so many! Right now, my most influential predecessors are Pat Steir and Gerhardt Richter. Other contemporary artists who I admire are Jose Parla, Makoto Fujimara and Jimi Gleason. I am also enjoying the writings of John Cage and Robert Adams.”
What is your creative process like?
“I use glass, silver nitrate, mylar, and resin in a multi-layered process of arrangement. My process ranges from analytical to intuitive, using math, chemistry, optics, memory, and play.
I work in layers and follow my curiosity. I am constantly asking myself, “How can I divest myself from this material and use it as a learning tool?” So it’s a perpetual oscillation between caring a great deal, and then adding a new layer of divestment. This way I can work out of humility which is energizing, rather than attempt to create it from my ego, which is exhausting.
I often work on a handful of projects or ideas at once, and I never know which layers will end up together in the end. I like to leave things open as I work to let the process surprise me, and then when it's finished it's not about me anymore. Maybe it never was.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“I am paraphrasing an old professor of mine in saying that I make utilitarian objects, and the purpose of those objects is for contemplation. Artists are, in many ways, the gatekeepers of our culture, and are responsible for its care and formation. We can challenge our viewers to think critically and to pay closer attention.
There are so many subtle choices an artist makes in the creation of the work, and maybe a viewer would see those choices as inconsequential; however, just because a viewer does not have a comprehensive understanding of these small details, does not mean it's not having an effect on them.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“My last solo show in New York was in 2019 at Massey Klein Gallery in the lower east side, and my next solo with them will open this Fall, in October 2022. I have also participated in multiple group shows at The Woodmere Art Museum, as well as other various galleries.”
All studio images credited to LCPhotographic
Website: laurasallade.com
Instagram: @laura.sallade
