Lauren Fyle: Still Lives of My Room

Artist Statement

My work is about being present with the innate beauty of the world around me. Due to the pandemic, I spent an eternity of time examining the various pieces of clutter within my own tiny world gathering dust. Sitting there, on my bed each evening I'd contemplate the piles of what appeared to be junk creeping up, there was a fleeting beauty to them, even though they were the same meaningless items I'd seen over-and-over again. In painting and drawing them, I cemented these little snapshots in my mind permanently, along with the emotions I experienced as I captured their essence within my work.

Grey Room Drawing

Packing for College Painting

Vanity Painting

Window Sill Painting

2021 VADS - People's Choice Voting

About the Project

Title of Work: Still Lives of My Room
Medium: Gouache painting
Student's Name: Lauren Fyle
Major: Economics
Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2023
Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri
Student's Mentor: Mark Langeneckert
Mentor's Department: Art
Art Project ID: 21VADS - 011

Comments

Lisa Scheese

I appreciate the comment that there's beauty in the clutter. It's a combination of comfort within the chaos of items that you hold valuable.

Ying Hu

I like the different texture/style you were able to present in each of the still paintings. It is fun to zoom in and see the various details you depicted and the tiny text hidden in the first painting.

Erik Potter

As a fellow person with "organizational problems," I so loved your paintings and video! Thank you for sharing a little of yourself with us!

Mollie Harrison

I love the style of these paintings! I can see the beauty in the normalcy of clutter. I especially like your window sill painting.

Jill Edwards

These are fantastic paintings. You are wonderfully talented!

Sarah Humfeld

Lauren, I am especially enchanged with the 'vanity' painting. The fact that you have included a mirror in the image opens up a lot of potential meanings. I kept scrutinizing the mirror to see what might be reflected in it. Did you consider painting objects in the mirror to add another layer of complexity or meaning? Thanks for sharing!

Marcus Wilkins

Gorgeous pieces. I'm enjoying dissolving into the details. I envision this work in a postmodern, high-brow graphic novel about real people (as opposed to costumed superheroes).

Jim Spain

Thank you Lauren - the paintings are wonderful. It reminds all of us to pay closer attention to the spaces we encounter. While there is clutter, in some of the clutter there are items that mean something and are often connected to a special memory or person. But we won't see that if we don't look and pay attention.

Lee Ann Garrison

I love this work, Lauren. Congratulations, again!