Laura Prochowski: Life needs to move
Sydney-based artist Laura Prochowski, who is having their first solo show at Tyger in October - Life needs to move. Photo by Brodie Dwyer / YogaPunk.
Still life is rarely really still. What’s captured in a photograph or painting may appear to be a serene and peaceful moment in time, but in every moment there is movement, maybe mayhem, even if just at microscopic levels.
The perpetual and inescapable movement that is so essential to life is the inspiration behind Laura Prochowski’s (they/them) brilliant new show at Tyger Gallery in Yass, Life needs to move.
Prochowski works in oils to create vivid abstracts rich with colour and movement. The new show features 16 new works spread over two rooms at the gallery, with one room’s works exploring the concept of ‘where we came from’ while the other addresses ‘where we’re going’. Together, they take the viewer on a journey that reflects the journey of the artist in creating the works.
“The show explores the concept of movement, and the requirement for all life to move in order to survive,” Prochowski says.
“Humanity lives more sedentary lives than ever before, yet human-kind is progressing at a mind-numbing pace - we are moving as a species - but is this really what we want to be moving towards?”
That connection between humans, our environment, and the world we have created is a familiar theme in Prochowski’s stunning work.
“The subjects in my works centre around the complexities of the human experience in all its beauty and ugliness, themes of gender expression, movement and action, the modern world and our interconnectedness with nature,” they say.
“The core reason I started painting was to find my own voice and connect with others through emotional expression, so these are all themes that are important to me and, I think, highly relevant at this time in human history.”
Prochowski balances a career as an artist with a career as illustrator and designer of textiles. That duality of working styles is something Prochowski says helps and influences in both careers.
“There is a real synergy between the two that has been growing and developing over the past few years,” they say.
“I work only with conscious-fashion brands that align with my values and provide me the opportunity to explore interesting subject matters. Often I am exploring a particular theme in my abstract paintings, and that will influence a colour palette or concept in my design work - sometimes it works the other way around.”
Life needs to move is the work of an artist confident in their mark-making, comfortable with colour, and bold in their brushstrokes. It’s a stunning collection of work - and all the more so for the challenges the artist faced while creating it.
“I feel proud, and a little overwhelmed by it,” Prochowski says.
“This collection was painted over a six-month period that had been quite tumultuous for me personally, including the loss of a friend to cancer. She was a huge supporter of my artistic journey and it had a big impact on what marks ended up hitting the canvas.”
“I want people who see the show to feel excited, hopeful and motivated. Abstract works can be incredibly powerful, and I hope that’s what I have achieved here - something powerful.”
Life needs to move is on at Tyger Gallery, Yass from 27 October - 12 November. Register here to receive a pre-sales catalogue.
