November 4, 2019 Duc Tinh

Grace and Grit

Works by: Stephanie Lauretano
Exhibit: November 7th – December 12th
Opening: November 7th,  3:45 pm – 5:00 pm
FH Gallery, Mon-Fri, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Free & Open to the Public

Artist Statement
I am searching for a delicate balance in my work; a balance of contradiction. This balance and exploration of what at first glance appear to be opposing forces; simplicity versus complexity; control versus non-control; and absence versus presence explores the relationship between obscuring and revealing.

Process and repetition have always been a constant in my work, and are now emerging as content. Marks and mark making processes are increasingly self-referential. As important as the items and collections of metal I manipulate are the relationships of the materials and process, and a testing of their limits. Each of my works has a loose pre-existing system or plan, and the work consists of the journey of my execution.

My work is quietly autobiographical; through content, materials and processes. I utilize frameworks which imply structure and order, but when combined or countered with the methods, processes and materials I employ, it becomes apparent that as individuals and as members of contemporary society, we cannot fully be in control. For even when we strive to be in control, the act of obscuring or revealing can achieve or disclose the opposite of our intention.

Artist Bio
Stephanie Lauretano manipulates materials and processes as a way of exploring dichotomy and life identity in her works. A Connecticut resident, she received her BFA in Painting and Glass from Alfred University, her MS in Education from the University of Bridgeport, and her MFA in Painting from the Hartford Art School. Utilizing process as content, Stephanie has focused on burning and markmaking since 2007. Recent shows include 20 Artists 10 Years, Artist in Residence Program Anniversary at Farmington Valley Arts Center, Avon, CT, Equanimity at Lost Acres Vineyard in Granby, Fire + Water at Five Points Gallery, Torrington, CT and Mystics Redux at Artspace, Hartford, CT. A middle and high school art educator, she has also been an Artist in Residence at the Farmington Valley Arts Center in Avon, Connecticut.