Laura Frazure

Artist Statement:

In all of my studio projects my comprehensive knowledge of anatomy allows me to construct a plausible three-dimensional figure derived from a photograph or rudimentary image, inventing structure by pushing and playing with bodily proportions. Most recently I’ve been referencing media images of women involved in protest activities or performing physical labor. I’m interested in the formal aspects of their poses which are embedded with explicit and inferred meanings. My interest in these conventions was sparked by the study of anatomy, which heightened my awareness of bodily gesture and expression, their communicative potential and cultural meanings. 

“Poses of Labor” references all women’s labor – across time and location. The use of the nude pulls away from a depiction of a particular individual, time and place. Emphasizing the presence of meaning, the signification of an idea.  Women’s labor, in this case, is agricultural and is felt in the bodies as we see them bending over, reaching to the ground. They represent all women who have labored in fields up to and including present day migrant workers. 

The sculptures will be modeled by a group of volunteers who create the bodies through consensus. They will dry out, crack, weather and disintegrate as time passes.

Learn more on Laura’s website