Laure Van Minden: Drawing Gigs

 

My practice, which has transitioned from drawing language to the language of drawing over the last few years, is being led by the process itself.

My work is about my relationship with drawing in response to situations and live events. For example, I respond to movement or sound while in transit or at a live musical performance. The motion of transport or the rhythm of the music guide the traces on the surface of the paper, enhancing the immediacy and contingent nature of the drawing. The line has become freer, as if liberating itself from the restraints of language.

Some drawings have been made in the dark. Bouts of sleeplessness have indeed furthered my investigation of the exploratory line. Night drawings act as a therapeutic tool and a lullaby. Meandering lines embody the twilight between waking and sleep. They become a record of the uncanny and liminal place we find ourselves in when insomnia strikes.

Be-ing in the moment, not looking at the paper and usually drawing with both hands is paramount to me to produce authentic and meaningful work. Drawings are becoming temporal palimpsests capturing slices of time. The paradoxical ideas of being in control, surrendering to intuition and relinquishing judgement are at the forefront of my experimental process.

When asked about my studio I would say that the drawings are made mostly during gigs. Whether I hide in the audience or mix with the musicians and artists to improvise, my studio is where live performance is. It feels right to be with the musicians, to share the same space…no words, just a symbiosis of visual and sound art. I embrace serendipity and the unknown because not knowing what will happen next forces me to live in the present moment and to connect deeply with the experience.

Visually capturing the movement of sound is becoming an obsession and the drawings turn into graphic scores…pens dance on the paper…lines are unleashed.

Bio

My professional background as a language teacher is deeply influencing my practise as a visual and conceptual artist. I graduated from Norwich University of the Arts in 2018 as a mature student with a Master in Fine Art and never looked back since.I am a member of The Plank since 2017, a fortnightly workshop for improvisers facilitated by the Eastern Ear. Musicians and artists collaborate in a free and non-judgemental environment, participating in a mix of structured activities and free improvisation. Pas de Deux exhibition in 2019 “presents a unique insight into the development of the artist's practice within the sessions, producing visceral documents from real-time visual responses and beautifully crafted artworks alike.”

I have also been a member of the Lonely Arts Club since 2019. We are like-minded artists in the East of England “engaged in the practise of artwork which is more than local, more than decorative and often explores long term themes.” We exhibit annually in large scale shows with space to explore and develop ideas.

My work as a lifestyle co-ordinator in a care home permeates my art as I live as I draw: in the moment. The resulting installation at Raveningham Sculpture trail in 2021 highlights the effect of dementia on language and cognition.

I am presently applying for an Art Council project grant for a multi-disciplinary performance with three musicians, a dancer and myself with mark making for June 2022 at the Shoe Factory Social Club in Norwich.

I welcome invitations for live collaborative performances / gigs and commissions for artwork for music pieces, particularly jazz.