Laura Van Duren, Rendering,  2020, ceramic, recycled furniture, glycerin, metal, vinyl, thread, 20" x 32" x 6"

Laura Van Duren
Gut Feeling

July 29th - September 11th, 2022

​Closing Reception, Sunday, Sept 11th from 2-5 pm

Transmission Gallery San Francisco is pleased to present Gut Feeling, a solo exhibition of work by sculptor Laura Van Duren. Evocative of the architecture of the body, Van Duren's work references the complex systems and visceral  experiences at play in human existence.

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Laura Van Duren Artist's Statement

My work embraces adaptation and resilience of the body in response to pressures on a personal and collective level. I create abstract sculptures that draw upon the hidden landscapes of water and bone, holding an intelligence that reaches beyond our rational minds. These forms have a unique interdependence with each other, weaving a seductive language of unpredictability and playfulness.

Looking deeper into the brain-gut axis system which regulates unconscious actions, I become curious about how our bodies hold pathways for both trauma and recovery. This system contains patterns of contraction as well as the possibility for embodied wisdom.

The materials I use reference the internal functions and processes of a body in motion, balancing rigidness with fluidity. Clay mirrors human transformation in its fleshy and malleable state. Glycerin’s translucent quality not only mimics the fluid inside us, but it is also a substance used in our foods, cosmetics and body soap. Viewers are often surprised to find what appears to be liquid is actually quite solid. The illusion entices the audience to touch, inspiring a visceral response.

As I come across discarded wooden chairs and furniture, I reflect on their history and who they supported. I carefully deconstruct the backs and legs, leaving the dowels and holes to reveal past connections that were the building blocks of stability. Each of us needs a balance of structure and flexibility in our lives. The bones of our daily existence allow us the space to be held in the paradoxical nature of existence.

Selected Exhibitions

 
2022     “did you make this, how long did it take?” Jack Fischer Gallery, San Francisco, CA
                In Tension, Incline Gallery, San Francisco, CA
                Tap Roots: Art Educators of Northern California, Arts Benicia, Benicia, CA
2021    Constructed Ceramics, Applied Contemporary Gallery, Oakland, CA
                XX@XV: 15th Anniversary, Mercury 20 Gallery, Oakland , CA
2020    Solo Exhibition, Drawn to Resilience, City College of San Francisco Art Gallery
2019     Matter of Form, Shoh Gallery, Berkeley, CA, Curator- Christine Koppes
                 Art + Movement, GearBox Gallery, Oakland, CA, Curator- Maria Porges
2018     The Open Book Show V, Root Division, San Francisco, CA, Curator- Kate Laster
                  The Magic of Collaboration, Adobe Art Gallery, Castro Valley, CA, Curator- Leah Virsik
                   Room for Thought, Space 151, San Francisco, CA, Juried by Jack Fischer
2017       AbstrAction, Marin Museum of Contemporary Art, Novato, CA, Juried by Catherine Clark
                   Thesis Exhibition, San Francisco State University Fine Art Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2016        Celebrating 40 Years, An Exhibition from Peter Voulkos’ The Dome, Oakland, CA
2015       Stillwell, San Francisco State University Art Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2014        Sky, Bedford Gallery, Walnut Creek, CA, Curated by DeWitt Cheng
2011        Transits and Returns: Alumni Show, Mercury 20 Gallery, Oakland, CA
2010         Solo Exhibition, Not for Sale, Mercury 20 Gallery, Oakland, CA
                     Twisted-Chiseled-Fired, Village Art Gallery, Danville, CA, Panel Discussion
                     CAST, Cathedral Gallery, Oakland, CA
2009         Solo Exhibition, Blue Sky, McCue Gallery 83, Orinda, CA
                     eARTh, Cathedral Gallery, Oakland, CA
                      Two-Person Exhibition, Two by Two, Mercury 20 Gallery, Oakland, CA
                       Las Cadre: Craft Masters, Richmond Art Center, Richmond, CA
                      Art Walk, Ruth Bancroft Garden, Walnut Creek, CA
                       Solo Exhibition, Confluence, Mercury 20 Gallery, Oakland, CA
                       Meet the Ironkids, Studio Quercus, Oakland, CA
                       Four Elements, Mercury 20 Gallery, Oakland, CA
                       RAW, Uptown Gallery, Oakland, CA
2008           Pequenitos: A Las Cadre Exhibition, Ruby's Clay Studio, San Francisco, CA
                       Solo Exhibition, The Dress Form Dialogues, Mercury 20 Gallery, Oakland, CA,
2007          All Fired Up, City of Santa Clara Sculpture Exhibition, Santa Clara City Hall, CA
                      Sculpture in the Garden, Ruth Bancroft Garden, Walnut Creek, CA
                     Variety Fair 2nd Anniversary Show, Art-Scape Gallery, Walnut Creek, CA
                     Two-Person Exhibition, Two Worlds, Mercury 20 Gallery, Oakland, CA,
2006         Mercury Rising, Tomlinson Gallery, Oakland, CA
                     Four Faces of the Figure, Addison Street Windows, Berkeley, CA
                     100% Centennial: CFA Alumni Exhibition, Regina Gouger Miller Gallery, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
2005         Resurfacing, Nexus Gallery, Berkeley, CA
                     Mischief, Cartoons, Characters & Critters, Studio Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2004         Speaking Figuratively, South Western College Art Gallery, Chula Vista, CA
2003         Two-Person Exhibition, Two Ways, Green Shutter Gallery, Hayward, CA
                      17th Annual Ceramic Sculpture Exhibition, UVSC Woodbury Gallery, Orem, UT
2002          30 Ceramic Sculptors, John Natsoulas Gallery, Davis, CA
                     Solo Exhibition, Journey, Peace Lutheran Gallery, Danville, CA,
Collaborative Projects
2015           A Common Thread Oakland, Mercury 20 Gallery, Sculptural collaboration with Nick Dong / Cory Messenger, Oakland, CA
2015            Choosing Home, Flight Deck Theater, Oakland, CA, Collaboration with 12 actors to create interactive installation performances for Ragged|
                        Wing Ensemble.
                        Threesome: Artists for Social Change, Subterranean Arthouse: Performance with musician Austin Willacy and poet Graham Hackett,
                        Berkeley, CA
2012           CMYK: The Process of Life Together, Oakland, CA, Book collaboration with Justin McRoberts
Biography
East Bay Express, “Ragged Wing Comes Home to Nest”, January,14, 2015, Sarah Burke
East Bay Express, “Going the Distance at Swarm, Royal Nonesuch, and Mercury 20”, May 18, 2011, Dewitt Cheng
Contra Costa Times, “Laura Van Duren Creates Art to Share”, September 15, 2010, Andrea Firth
Education
2017 MFA, Sculpture, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA
1981 BFA, Studio Art, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA