“The art world offers a degree of freedom and limitlessness which has always been very seducing to my creative impulses…”

As you wander around our tenth birthday party at Carriageworks this weekend, don’t be surprised to see a dancing lady scribbling on a wall. That’s just Sydney artist Lauren Webster. Stop and watch her for a while as soulful characters emerge, staring out in to the crowd, likely adorned by bones and boobs.

Andrew Pople chatted to Lauren about sailors, lovers, bags’o’bones and taking energy from an audience…

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Andrew :: How did the art world capture your creative impulses?

Lauren :: The art world offers a degree of freedom and limitlessness which has always been very seducing to my creative impulses. It sounds a bit bratty when I say it out loud but I like that I am in complete control of my creative direction, working free of briefs and structure. I can literally live out my inspiration and by extension my work. I consider myself really lucky to be able to follow and indulge in that creative impulse every day.

You have an amazing style creating stark, stylised figures that seem to gaze out from the canvas. What influences these creations?

Thanks! I havenʼt always worked in this way. I used to paint large, brooding, moody portraits that were much more realistic but over time they have been stripped back bit by bit until often there are only a few basic lines that make up a figure. I find simplicity in drawing really beautiful.

The characters in my work can be influenced by all kinds of things. My last exhibition was focused around sailors of old and their lovers. More recently I have been working with imagery from vintage t-shirts and creating characters around the imagined stories of the tʼs. Iʼm also working on another series called BAG of BONES which is much more self-reflective.

Is creating in front of an audience different to working in the comfort of your studio?

Yes for me it definitely is. I used to be quite shy about working with other people around. It means that you need to be comfortable to share the work at every stage and not just when you consider it a finished piece. Now that Iʼm more used to it working in front of an audience can be great! Thereʼs a positive energy from the audience which is really fun but thereʼs no doubt that Iʼm in a different place to when I zone out in my studio.

What can we expect from you @ FBi turns 10?

Iʼm yet to work this out exactly but I think itʼs safe to say you can expect a painting, dancing crazy lady scribbling people, bones and boobs on the wall! Canʼt wait.

Any must-sees on the day?

For starters Iʼm looking forward to seeing what the other painters get up to on the day! As far as tunes I hope to catch Bleeding Knees Club, Deep Sea Arcade, The Preatures, Oliver Tank… the list does go on but Iʼll pull myself up.

Lauren is one of 4 artists chosen by FBi and aMBUSH Gallery to be part of FBi Turns 10!

Get familiar with them all.

WHO :: Lauren Webster
WHAT :: Live art performance as part of FBi Turns 10!
WHERE :: Carriageworks, 245 Wilson St, Eveleigh
WHEN :: Sunday 8th September, midday-10pm
HOW MUCH :: Final release $69 / $59 for FBi Supporters, here