“Fabric has always been a part of my world. My family was in the textile business for over four generations—from the Austrian Hungarian Empire, to Poland and finally in the United States. That may help explain why I feel most comfortable expressing myself with textiles. . .
The challenge for me in creating my current series of freeform abstract pieces is in taking diverse patterned fabric pieces and creating a dialogue between them that results in a harmonious whole. I start by putting one piece and then another on my design wall and see if they communicate. Is there a dialogue between one piece and another? A spark? Color, shape, pattern print, and scale are all factors I consider in addition to other design elements. I seek to create depth and movement in my pieces.
I view fabric pieces as my paint. The stitching helps to interconnect the forms by creating texture and marks on my “canvas”–similar to a painter using brush strokes to create marks in their paintings. My work marries the traditional and historical technique of stitching with contemporary abstract art. The free form pieces placed at different heights and angles reveal both a playfulness often missing in more formal exhibitions and a gravitas that recognizes both painters and sculptors of postmodern abstractions.”
Sandra E. Lauterbach is a contemporary mixed media artist with a studio in Los Angeles. She initially attended Pomona College where she studied art before earning a JD degree at the University of Southern California Law School. She eventually decided to leave the practice of law and focus on her art. Since then she has attended various other art schools, including Otis College of Art and Design.
Website
http://sandralauterbach.com
