Treading Through Dreamscapes with Lauren Guymer July 23 2019

 

Lauren Guymer is an emerging visual artist based in the Mornington Peninsula. Lauren creates intricate black and white artworks inspired by the natural world. With a primary focus on drawing and painting, Lauren meticulously constructs dream-like worlds of her own using highly detailed mark making and self-taught techniques. Driven by her constant fascination with nature, her process includes observing, travelling, and collecting inspiration, resulting in works that respond to the landscape and her experiences. Combining this with her vivid imagination and curiosity in surrealism, dreams, and symbolism, her works explore further into imaginary places filled with atmospheric landscapes and uninhabited sanctuaries.

We spoke to Lauren about living so close to the bushland and sea, drawing inspiration from nature, using a black and white palette, and her favourite tunes.

Interview by Airiel. Photos supplied by Lauren Guymer.

You live out in the Mornington Peninsula. Tell us about your life along the coast?

Life is pretty nice down here! I really enjoy the quietness and proximity to the bushland and beaches. I’m very fortunate to have my studio nestled on my family’s property, which is surrounded by trees, land, and animals. It makes it easy to find inspiration for my work.

Give us a run down on your artistic processes. What mediums do you like to work with?

I primarily create black and white drawings and paintings on paper. For about three years, I almost worked exclusively in pen and ink drawing, using tiny dots and lines to render my works. Over the past year I started to draw with graphite and found that I could achieve and learn so much more, and this has been a big focus since. Because of this foundation I have also transitioned into painting too, where I have been painting with black ink a lot lately. There is a lot more energy and fluidity in this that I really enjoy. No matter what medium I use, everything tends to end up being very detailed and filled with lots of layers or marks. 

A lot of your works look like topographical collage. How do you piece together these landscapes and where do you get your inspiration from?

I get my inspiration from places I have visited. For me it’s always found in nature, from the Aussie bush to places like Finland and Iceland. I also try to pull ideas from my imagination as much as possible too. My works end up being a mixture of both real and imagined places, often settling somewhere in-between. When I go on a walk or trip I always take my sketchbook and camera with me and document the things I see. Doing this has been really important in my process because I always have something to reflect on and use as a reference.

What draws you to working almost exclusively in this monochromatic colour palette?

I fell into creating black and white artworks naturally. Because I’m mostly self- taught, working in this way has enabled me to focus on technique and learning what I can do with it. And there is still so much to learn, which excites me. I also love that it doesn’t appear too real and leaves a bit to the imagination. Maybe it also helps add to the mood and atmosphere of my work. Eventually I would like to get into colour, but I can only see it working for me if it is very restrained or still a single colour.

What are some of your top recommended adventure spots around Melbourne?

Basically any place on the map that appears green. The surf beaches on the peninsula are a favourite, as well as Greens Bush/Two Bays Walking track. And of course the Dandenongs are always pretty spectacular.

What kind of music do you like to listen to when you're working away?

My taste in music has become pretty eclectic. In the studio it really depends on what I’m working on. If I’m drawing, it’s usually a bit more calm and relaxing. And if I’m painting or have an exciting new idea, it’s very noisy and high energy. I mainly listen to all forms of rock, but also enjoy an odd cello suite every now and then to keep me focused.

Your exhibition is coming up with us on the 2 August. Is there a particular inspiration or theme that you've been focusing on for the exhibition?

I wanted to make a new body of work that encapsulated the essence of my art, which is an exploration of the natural world. All of the pieces are of imaginary landscapes, although some have been inspired by real places or memories. The works focus a lot on plants, trees, mountains, and more, which are all elements that I love a lot.

You've titled your exhibition Dreamscapes. What does this reference mean to you?

I had this title in mind for a really long time. I think it summarises my show and ideas as simply and as best as I can. It suggests that the landscapes depicted are from a dream-like or imaginary place, and I hope that when everyone views it they are taken there. When I am drawing or painting I usually drift into this zone, and it’s pretty nice space to go to.

Dreamscapes by Lauren Guymer
Exhibition runs 2 – 11 August
Opening night Friday, 2 August
Sign up to for the show preview 
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