Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Herzak-Bauman.
Hi Lauren, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I don’t remember the first time I thought to myself that I wanted to be an artist; it was something that I just knew I was. Luckily, I had two supportive parents who encouraged me to follow this path. I started throwing pottery before I could drive and studied ceramics in college. In college, I fell in love with the idea of teaching college-level ceramics and pursued that direction through grad school. My education led me toward making ceramic sculpture, and after receiving my MFA, I taught college and continued to make work.
When I moved back to Cleveland about ten years ago, I struggled to find a teaching job, so I taught myself how to slipcast pottery and unknowingly launched a pottery business. This type of production allowed me to create unique geometric forms in repetition. I continued to make sculpture, and I landed my first public commission at The Westin Hotel in downtown Cleveland. Now, I make pottery and sculpture, and I see both in support of my vision to create meaningful objects that transform environments.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Making art is hard! It has been a road full of bumps and takes commitment to a vision, patience, determination, and resilience. One of the biggest hurdles in the last ten years was making my work more suitable for a public environment. A lot of my early sculptures utilized broken shards of pottery in massive site-specific installations. This work was so important to my development as an artist, but as I moved away from teaching and more towards selling work, I couldn’t really find a home for it. I think the word “commercial” gets a bad rap in the art world, but in order to make a living off my work, I utilized some of those experimental concepts and applied them to contained surfaces—for example, the porcelain shards are now encased in resin for wall sculptures. Though it was a hard transition, I am feeling more successful putting this work out in a way that really communicates.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As an artist, I use concept and craft to create a transformative experience for my audience through pottery and sculpture. I delight in the idea and work hard on the outcome, considering how materials convey emotion through movement, scale, placement, repetition, and gesture.
My pottery functions as a sculptural utilitarian object in the home. While empty, it elevates its surroundings through its architectural and geometric lines. While in use, the pots have a nice hand feel. Be it a mug, a bowl, or a vase, each piece readily accepts the function it was designed for.
My ceramic sculptures explore the impossible pursuit of perfection, failure, and acceptance through material and process. I seek meaning in found objects that demonstrate a record of use and age—old fixtures or glass tumbled and found on a beach, for instance. Using my sensibility and handling of clay, I arrange handmade objects to make sculptures and installations that reflect these observations. I am curious about the relationship between the objects I make and my own perceptions of control, particularly how the essence of materials can reveal the human nature of the work and the errors my hands impart.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I’ve experienced all different sides of luck in and out of business and have come to the conclusion that luck has only worked in my favor because I have been open to receiving it. I’m someone who sees the value and life in garbage found on the ground! I love combing beaches to find sea glass or other treasures. As a result of being open to what comes my way, I’ve found opportunity in these moments. It hasn’t all been sunshine and rainbows. My pile of rejection letters is much taller than my pile of acceptance letters. But both the acceptances and rejections have shaped my career and taught me valuable lessons.
Contact Info:
- Website: laurenhbstudio.com
- Instagram: @laurenhb
- Facebook: Facebook.com/laurenhbstudio
Image Credits
Heather Mariano Artist
