Laura Grossett
application portfolio
strange times
lincut, size varies ranging from 10x10" to 36x24". 2021-present
These prints are selected from a series I began during the Covid pandemic that explored perceived loss of power- how we use vigilance and preparedness as a coping mechanism, and the human tendency of allowing our imagination to fill empty voids when there is a lack of information available.
lincut, size varies ranging from 10x10" to 36x24". 2021-present
These prints are selected from a series I began during the Covid pandemic that explored perceived loss of power- how we use vigilance and preparedness as a coping mechanism, and the human tendency of allowing our imagination to fill empty voids when there is a lack of information available.
fire sister and flood sister
etching, relief, screenprint, hand-coloring. size variable, about 4ft wide. 2024
These two installations were made to honor the careful balance required to sustain life. In the American west we exist between the two poles of fire and flood- each equally responsible for both the cleansing and rebirth of the landscape.
etching, relief, screenprint, hand-coloring. size variable, about 4ft wide. 2024
These two installations were made to honor the careful balance required to sustain life. In the American west we exist between the two poles of fire and flood- each equally responsible for both the cleansing and rebirth of the landscape.
unfolding, growing
ziggurat book structure, etching, handcoloring. 3.5x82". 2023
This structure was intended as metaphor for the potential I believe all people contain. When necessary, it can fold in on itself and compress into a tight, small cylinder- but the viewer can see only some information when the book is presented this way. Tiny cut windows provide a glimpse of what is inside but it isn't until given the space it needs that it can unfurl to reveal a long scroll-type print of growing things.
ziggurat book structure, etching, handcoloring. 3.5x82". 2023
This structure was intended as metaphor for the potential I believe all people contain. When necessary, it can fold in on itself and compress into a tight, small cylinder- but the viewer can see only some information when the book is presented this way. Tiny cut windows provide a glimpse of what is inside but it isn't until given the space it needs that it can unfurl to reveal a long scroll-type print of growing things.
delicious power
exploding book structure, screenprint, etching, handcoloring. 6"x6". 2024
Hidden within the plant life of this structure is a quote by Virginia Woolf: You know, women have served for centuries as a looking glass, possessing the magic and delicious power of reflecting the figure of man at twice its natural size. I've recently been exploring themes of fertility in my work and so started thinking about the amount of energy plants invest in their efforts to attract pollinators. They are drawn to the visual display (petals, color, etc...) but primarily the nectar produced by the female parts of the plant- only to accidentally collect pollen from the smaller male organs.
exploding book structure, screenprint, etching, handcoloring. 6"x6". 2024
Hidden within the plant life of this structure is a quote by Virginia Woolf: You know, women have served for centuries as a looking glass, possessing the magic and delicious power of reflecting the figure of man at twice its natural size. I've recently been exploring themes of fertility in my work and so started thinking about the amount of energy plants invest in their efforts to attract pollinators. They are drawn to the visual display (petals, color, etc...) but primarily the nectar produced by the female parts of the plant- only to accidentally collect pollen from the smaller male organs.
ascending swarm
screenprint on recycled paperboard, magnets, nails, inkjet on paper. size variable
Bees have a variety of portrayals, both as messengers and workers but also as something dangerous, something to be feared. Particularly when they swarm. The messages these bees carry are personal accounts of labor exploitation that were submitted by over 100 community members.
screenprint on recycled paperboard, magnets, nails, inkjet on paper. size variable
Bees have a variety of portrayals, both as messengers and workers but also as something dangerous, something to be feared. Particularly when they swarm. The messages these bees carry are personal accounts of labor exploitation that were submitted by over 100 community members.
you've fattened yourself for the slaughter
screenprint on mylar, linocut, thread, gold paper. 2018
This installation was intended as a reminder of the power of many over the perceived power of a few. It is a reflection of the elite's inability to recognize when enough is enough and inspired by a Fredrick Douglas quote: Power concedes nothing without demand... The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.
screenprint on mylar, linocut, thread, gold paper. 2018
This installation was intended as a reminder of the power of many over the perceived power of a few. It is a reflection of the elite's inability to recognize when enough is enough and inspired by a Fredrick Douglas quote: Power concedes nothing without demand... The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.
    |
    |
absence/presence
presence: hand-cut copper sheet metal, cold connections, mylar, string, paper
absence: cotton rag paper
Through this series I explored personal loss: how it feels to have physical reminders of someone I had lost, but also the lasting intangible impression left by their absence. At the time I worked in a university's ornithology specimen collections lab.
Presence consisted of the physical objects. As with printmaking, they were built using layers, held together with pressure. Absence involved using exlusively pressure by running the cut sheet metal through an etching press and embossing the image into the paper. There are 26 each of both objects and embossments.
presence: hand-cut copper sheet metal, cold connections, mylar, string, paper
absence: cotton rag paper
Through this series I explored personal loss: how it feels to have physical reminders of someone I had lost, but also the lasting intangible impression left by their absence. At the time I worked in a university's ornithology specimen collections lab.
Presence consisted of the physical objects. As with printmaking, they were built using layers, held together with pressure. Absence involved using exlusively pressure by running the cut sheet metal through an etching press and embossing the image into the paper. There are 26 each of both objects and embossments.
