Artist Statement

Laura Vulgaris paints and draws moody portraits of natural subjects on repeat, mostly plants, in a palette of black, white and greys. Taking inspiration from traditional botanical art and illustration, she focuses on the expressionistic and idiosyncratic potential of these art forms. Working from photos she has taken, she enjoys seeking out instances where plants arrange themselves into pleasing tableaux. Sometimes measured and accurate, sometimes crudely-rendered, embellished or borderline imaginary, each painting and drawing has a unique fingerprint despite the repetition of subjects. Her paintings balance thick, textural, spontaneous wet-in-wet acrylic paint application with attention to detail. In contrast, her black ink drawings recall the singular forms and linework of early botanical illustration. Through incorporating these different mediums and techniques into her work, she explores different ways of seeing nature through the prism of human experience.