A year ago, we were busy at Finch Lane Gallery installing our 35×35 exhibit, a showcase for Utah’s young artistic talent. Then the closures hit. (The exhibit only opened to the public, in a limited way, in June.) A year since the closures, we have decided to check in with the artists from 35×35 to see what they’re working on now in our WIP feature.
This is what’s on Laura Hope Mason’s easel right now. “I’ve been working on this painting the last week or two. I think it’s just about done. I like to attach the frame to help me decide if the piece is finished,” the artist says.
It’s the latest in a series of vintage campers and RVs in minimalist, atmospheric landscapes the artist has been working on the past couple of years. “The portrayal of aging recreational vehicles trigger memories of trips to new places and the promise of protection from the elements,” says the University of Utah graduate (2012). “The metallic icons can be beautiful in their ghostly solitude. Conversely, they are reminders of eroding, transient artifacts, littering the environment and scarring the landscape.”
For 2021, Mason has a goal to work larger, so this is one of three 30 x 40 inch pieces she is currently working on. They will head to Trove Gallery, in Park City. In the meantime, Mason says, “I am looking forward to getting together again with everyone at art receptions/exhibitions. I am staying motivated by that prospect.”
You can see more of her work at laurahopeart.com and on Instagram.
This 15 Bytes feature talks with artists about what is on their “easel” right now.
Categories: Visual Arts | WIP
Homes can be richly revealing of their owners and occupants. Mobile homes are a much more intense microcosm. I’ve been watching Laura Hope Mason’s development of these portable environments for years, so the idea that she is thinking about putting them in the larger environments their owner/occupants choose to fold them into is quite intriguing. Something for Utah art enthusiasts to look forward to.