Ceysson & Bénétière

Ceysson & Bénétière is pleased to present Portraits of Alex and Other Murmurings, an exhibition of recent works by Lauren Luloff. This exhibition will be on view from November 5th through December 12th, 2020 and is Luloff’s first solo presentation with Ceysson & Bénétière Saint-Etienne.

Lauren Luloff’s studio always feels like springtime—her lightweight silks dyed with florals and landscapes are activated by the light beaming in through her windows. Landscapes play a significant role in Luloff’s work. Wether she paints them en plain air or from her mind, Lauren captures the light, depth, and memory of water and trees, collaging together the wisdom of their histories with the optimistic potential of renewal. This feeling of new life, warm breeze, and tenderness is essential to her work, which has always been grounded by her generosity and care.

Luloff’s care is materialized in the way she lovingly cuts, paints, sews, undoes, sews again, and listens to the materials; often remarking that a painting “just didn’t want to be cut apart”. Each work is exactly what it wants to be; the artist’s hand present but not forced. Her layering of sharply painted patterns and flowers with the hazy saturation resulting from being submerged in dye creates a dream-like image, as if looking at a memory. This process, which is slowed by the need for the dye to develop and cure, is reminiscent of ceramic glazing. There is always an element of chance and a sense of not knowing what the final result will be. The slow, meticulous act of sewing, collaging, and waiting is an act of love, distinguishing itself from the anxious need for instant gratification we are accustomed to.

This new body of work grew from an exploration of Alex, Lauren’s husband, and the seriality of her attempts to capture his essence in just the letter ‘A’. Circles of flowers meant to be the negative space in the lowercase ‘a’ reflect and repeat themselves as Luloff works up the courage to finally cut one out and turn it into a letter. She surrounds the resulting floral tondos with stripes and plaids evocative of Alex’s shirts, using colors that remind her of him—his skin, his clothes, his hair, and simply him. From there she extends the reach of her love to ‘G’ and ‘B’, each portrait breathing and floating with the same vernal life that animates her studio.

Lauren Luloff (b. 1980) lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. Luloff received her BFA from Pennsylvania State University in 2001 and her MFA from Bard College in 2010. Since then, her work has been the subject of several solo exhibitions at Ceysson & Bénétière, Halsey McKay, and Marlborough. She has also been featured in numerous group shows at Derek Eller, 56 Henry, and Islip Art Museum. Lauren Luloff has received several awards including the Arts and Architecture Alumni Award in 2019, the Bau at Camargo Arts Residency Award in 2016, and the Joan Mitchell Teaching Artist Award in 2012.