Laurie Search artscenetoday featured artist

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l a u r i e s e a r c h

Laurie Search-Special.jpg

1st PLACE WINNER: words, words, words Competition

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lauried search

san lorenzo, CA/USA

SPECIAL

photography

contact for price

lornstv@sbcglobal.net

http://lors.redbubble.com

artist statement

The biggest thing that I hope to achieve with my work is to make people feel and to touch them in some way. I don't often use words in my work, besides the titles, but when I do, they're there for a reason, and I hope that they will add an extra punch to the image. My image, "Special" has a few different meanings for me..For one, I found the misspelling so charming, and it reminded me of a child emphatically insisting that they are in fact special. And then there's that island out there beyond the wall, all by itself; like us, special in its individuality.

My second photo is a self portrait, titled "Needy". Adding the words to my arm changed the whole feel of the image for me. This image is poking a little fun at myself, for those times when I find myself feeling like I desperately need more love and attention. I think most of us have felt this way at some point in our lives, and when I take a step back and look at this neediness in myself, all I can really do is laugh at it...It helps to put things into perspective.

I'm honored to be the 1st place winner for the words, words, words competition here on ArtScene Today! Thank you very, very much!

bio

I'm a photographer living in the San Francisco Bay Area, CA. I've been taking pictures for most of my life, but only started dedicating just about all my time to it in the last two or three years, after some physical injuries. It has come to be so important to me, and such a big and meaningful part of my life. I eat, sleep, and breathe photography. It is my true passion. I love all kinds of photography, be it travel, architectural, landscapes, portrait, self-portraits, or nature. Each one seems to provide a different type of outlet for me. I absolutely love going out shooting and just losing myself in it. There's nothing better. Except for the feeling of actually touching somebody with my work.

I graduated from the New York Institute of Photography in August of 2008, and since then, I have had my photographs included in several galleries/shows. They are as follows:

- ShutterBudd's photography show, themed "Everyday", on display at zpizza restaurant in Mountain View, CA in December, 2008

- ShutterBudd's photography show, themed "Celebration", on display at zpizza restaurant and Sweet Corner in Mountain View, CA, in February, 2009

- ShutterBudd's photography show, themed "Animals and Wildlife", on display at zpizza restaurant and Sweet Corner in Mountain View, CA, in March, 2009

- ShutterBudd's photography show, themed "Signs", on display at zpizza restaurant and Sweet Corner in Mountain View, CA, in April, 2009

- "Broken" show, at the Sixth Street Gallery in Vancouver, WA, in April, 2009

- ShutterBudd's photography show, themed "Textures"; to be on display at zpizza and Sweet Corner in Mountain View, CA, in May, 2009

- Metro's South First Fridays photo show and exhibit, themed "I Live Here", showing for the month of June, 2009, in San Jose, CA

-"This Town" exhibit, at Eclectix Gallery in El Cerrito, CA; showing July 3 - August 16, 2009

-2009 National Juried Exhibition, at the ACCI Gallery in Berkeley, CA; July 10 - August 23, 2009

I also had a photo published in F-Stop Magazine's October 2009 issue, and I was a selected finalist in ArtScene Today's "Erogenous Zones" competition in October 2009. I have currently been working on a self portrait project that should be on view at the Red Bluff Art Gallery in the upcoming spring.

ArtSceneToday Q&A

Q: Where do you see yourself in the art scene today?

A:I just see myself as an emotional person who needs and loves to express herself, and hopefully is lucky enough for some people to actually enjoy what comes out of that!

Q: What is your inspiration?

A: I'm inspired by so many different things. I'm largely inspired by music, but my inspiration can also come from memories, a beautiful place I visit, love, pain, heartache.

Q: What are your challenges?

A: Well, besides wanting and needing more photography equipment while having very little income, I need to remember to have confidence in myself. Sometimes I lose sight of that.

Q: How did you/do you choose your medium?

A: When I was growing up, my family always took pictures of every occasion, vacation, event, etc., so photography was always in my life to an extent. But then when my life changed drastically a few years ago, I just decided that I wanted to take a photography class at a local school, and from then on, I was completely hooked.

Q: Which artist has influenced you the most?

A: There really isn't one well known artist that truly influenced me and my work, although I do admire so many. I really love the honesty Annie Leibovitz seems to pull out of her subjects. But I'm actually so inspired every day by all of the artists I've come across on the websites redbubble.com and jpgmag.com. The artistic communities on both of those sites are full of so much incredible talent, it's impossible not to be inspired.