Loren Siems’ autobiographical sculptures and paintings evolve from personal places and memories that draw on universal themes of image, gender, and body politics. She bases her work on relationships covering non-traditional beauty. She creates a visual language by adapting her childhood imagery and memories to portray her psychological development and anxieties as an adult woman formed from these relationships.
Siems created a series of 35 drawings, Birthday Dresses, each one representing a year in her life up until the year that she made the piece. The drawings are on paper, torn into the shape of doll dresses, and the imagery expresses the emotive state and psychology of that year.
As a collection of the 35 drawings together the piece becomes much more interesting, complex, and beautiful like a person growing from their experiences. This series led to other drawings and paintings with a similar sensibility. She is still making Undie Bunnies out of her old underwear and fabrics from childhood. The bunnies are multiplying, especially while socially distancing.
As a multidisciplinary artist, Siems enjoys using all mediums to create an immersive "world" that exists 2 dimensionally, 3 dimensionally, and digitally. She also enjoys experimenting with various mediums and learning how to use her hands and eyes with different techniques.
"I especially like using traditional craft or children's materials in elevated and/or unexpected ways."
Based in Houston, Texas, Siems spent more than a year living and developing her art practice in Berlin. "I initially went to Berlin for a 3 month artist residency, where various opportunities arose, and I ended up saying for 19 months.
Unfortunately most of those opportunities lost funding before the exhibitions because the arts are always the first places to loose funding. So I focused more on experiential art through performing. Berlin has a rich performance, cabaret, nightlife culture for artist to experiment and create live."
The current Covid19 situation has caused all art exhibitions to be canceled. However Siems is use to exhibiting online. "I have displayed my artwork online since the days of myspace and facebook began, so I am happy to see specific platforms dedicated to displaying artwork. I am hopeful that the consumer and collector market will acknowledge these platforms as a value way to access artwork.
Online exhibitions are more cost effective for the artist and reduce or eliminate gallery commission percentages. The downside of digital display is the ability to completely inspect and experience the nuances of the art work; details and angles are lost in flat images. But the ability to reach a broader audience makes displaying online worth while."
Siems is currently back in the US and continues to explore with new art works developing her art practice further during 2020.
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