From Manchaca, Texas
Artist Statement:
In many of my related works, I position fragments that are incomplete in themselves, but together become a unified creation. The assembled elements include parts that I have made, altered, and/or found. I use recycled/reclaimed materials as much as possible and when appropriate. The connections created may be a reflection of diverse elements joined to create a new form.
These works present an interaction of the deliberate and the unintended, control vs. the absence of control. When exploring surface quality, I allow the beauty of some accidental surfaces to remain, but also choose to impose an order and merge these separate elements. I ‘play’ in a variety of formats because life is too short to do the same thing over and over. This includes working with both geometric and organic forms. Frequently, I simultaneously work on a couple of different bodies of work. I’m a sculptor first and l create in whatever materials speak to me at the moment. My relief designs hover somewhere between two and three dimensions. Summer is my time to work with wood. When it’s cold, I may be more likely to work with metal using ‘cold connections’ but I also braising and welding. The jewelry I make is both cast and fabricated.
Artist Biography:
Laura Sturtz is a versatile artist creating work in both 3D and 2D. Presently, her work is primarily in metals and wood. She also spent 10+ years creating in ceramic.
She has received numerous awards and has participated in juried national and regional exhibitions. Her work is in many national and international private collections. Lately, Laura has been involved in creating larger metal sculptures for various public art locations.
Laura returned to school as an ‘older’ student and received a Masters degree enabling her to teach studio art classes as an adjunct at Austin Community College for 14 years.