March 2014

Sienna Gallery is having a rather unusual show this month with a series of photographs by Lauren Kalman accompanied by a few objects used in them. The photos include a nude figure, ormamentation and mid-century furniture. Very strange and very beautiful but extremely mysterious. If you want to understand them you must read on.

Susan Cummins: Lauren, please tell the story of your background.

Lauren Kalman: Both of my parents were visual artists, and I think that had a huge influence on my development as an artist. My father is an industrial designer who is currently involved in designing and building his house, and my mother was a commercial photographer. They collected design and craft objects and were interested in architecture and design, so my aesthetic influences began very young. More specifically related to But If the Crime Is Beautiful … , we owned reproductions of the Eames recliner and Wassley chair, so Modern design was a part of my environment growing up. 

I majored in metals at Massachusetts College of Art, and following that, was accepted into the now-defunct apprenticeship program at the Johnson Atelier Technical Institute of Sculpture. There, I was trained in foundry with a focus in metal chasing and welding.

My MFA is in art and technology from The Ohio State University. This background includes exposure to conceptual practices, physical computing, digital imaging, and digital video, all of which play an important roll in my current practice.