Laura Clark - Dissonance

March 04, 2022

As an artist, I create photo-based work because it provides an opportunity to capture everyday moments that may go unnoticed by others. My photography captures traces and evidence of human presence when people themselves are absent. Continually examining the constructs of societies and self, my work reflects an interest in how we choose, individually and collectively, to physically and emotionally occupy environments. I am inspired by subject matter that is relatable, familiar and ever-changing and I focus on the temporary existence of time and space from moment to moment in the human experience.

My recent work explores flowers in the occasions of life and death - in celebration, memory, and in mourning. Flowers are reminders and remnants, mementos of lives once lived. I create art to capture and preserve the essence of being in these moments. This is a way to hold onto and embrace time. As with all that lives, flowers will come to an end in time, but perhaps not all is lost. Even with the eventual decay of the flowers, the beauty, sentiment and purpose…still remains and time is not forgotten.

Currently, I am exploring and pursuing my interest in botanicals as an extension of human expression with photography and mixed media sculptural art that combines my photographs with diverse mediums, such as found objects, natural and artificial materials.

This series of work, entitled Dissonance, consists of ocean debris collected on the beaches of the Sunshine Coast, British Columbia and was inspired by the discomfort and frustration knowing that the beautiful ocean that is full of life is also a dumping ground for human made waste. 

This work explores the way human interactions create tension and interfere with our connections to one another and our habitat in an already fragile environment. Furthermore, the imagery observes the significance and effects of materialism, consumerism and the throwaway culture. By utilizing “found” objects alongside upcycled beach waste and dead flowers, I create sculptural portraits in an effort to celebrate and appreciate what we have and provide a visual reminder that change is essential to preserve and protect what remains.