Laura Moore - Artist
Selected statement pieces. Explore more in the portfolio and in progress sections.
Resilience
Native wood, framing nails, steel
The labor materials utilized address an individual’s willingness to work despite the attempts, failures, and successes embedded in a task. The sculpture’s defined task produces no usable product, but instead focuses on an individual’s sheer willingness to engage in a laborious process. The repetitive micro moments within the structure invite the viewer to consider defined success and failure points on an equal plane. Additionally, the material contrast between the found wood — nearly 150 years old — and the modern steel framing nails offer a past and present endurance contrast. Note specifically how the found material withstands endless impacts from the modern material without collapsing. A specific fracture point is highlighted, where the modern material nearly engulfs the found material, but the material’s core is impenetrable. The sculpture’s cornerstone statement rests in the resilience duality between the force applied and the force endured.
Tapestry of Labor
Canvas tarp and found material dot print image transfer
Preferential weathering permeates labor industry materials. Items that are relied upon show their useful hours in every detailed crease and collected residue. The labor moments in both the canvas tarp and the leather glove image transfer provide a meeting point for these reliable protectorate items. The image’s integration into the canvas fibers signifies value, worth, and reliance. The chosen materials are worn threadbare in both physical appearance and image representation. The sizeable perspective at 42 inches by 54 inches highlights the intricate labor nuances in each leather crease line that would not be noticeable on a smaller scale. The piece elevates the labor process’ value to that of classic high art grand tapestries. The piece harkens back to the ancient Wabi Sabi principle that insists imperfect items gain irreplaceable value as they are worn down over time because they archive the hours invested in an impermanent process that contributed to the development of the individual’s character.
Continuous Drive
Found work gloves and found steel
The working process requires a continuous drive that pushes the boundaries of time, individuals,and materials. As this process unfolds in the labor industries, it provides tangible evidence depicting these collective and extensive efforts. The worn work gloves gathered from a variety of Midwestern laborers allude to thousands of hours over decades. The randomized yet communal display references the communal nature inherent within the labor industry workflow.
Working Totem
Steel and found work gloves