lauren mckinley renzetti
I grew up on the campus of Sheridan College School of Crafts and Design in Mississauga , surrounded by artists and craftsman. I attended Georgian College and later received an Honours BA in Fine Art and Theatre at McMaster University . I decided to try the life of the theatre and realized I needed more skills so attended Ryerson for a year. While at Ryerson I was given a position as a Teaching Assistant to Tony Abrams and later as an Instructor, along with work in Television with Life Network and in Theatre with Theatre Asylum and handmade performance. Since 2014 I have been working primarily in the IATSE873 Union as a scenic painter. This environment is full of group making and the interweaving of many departments. It is satisfying. Moments of “Eureka” still come from my daily life as an artist, in film and with the students I teach. I have been making since 1988 and still find these (ad)ventures the driving force to get out of bed each day .
I am influenced by paintings of Paul Klee, Raoul Duffy, Harold Town, Patterson Ewen, the Group of Seven . Alexander Calder, Henry Moore and Harold Klunder remind me to look at nature and detritus in new ways for sculpture. Conceptual art by Yoko Ono and Douglas Copeland forces me to think of the meaning behind everything. Sol Lewitt’s drawing exercises help me to start any project with some guiding principles.
Meaning in Art and Behind the Art is Important.
Lauren McKinley Renzetti the person, is interested in everything so my subject matter in paint, collage, print and sculpture is varied and ever changing. I am drawn to nature, the slow opening of a seed, a lizard’s skin, the human eye up close and personal, our planet from space , molecules under a microscope. I am interested in where art comes from, the tools , the materials, and the stepping stones made by other artists before me.
Making art is important in my daily life. I do find that I truly think everyone needs a creative outlet. They even yearn for it. I try to make these opportunities happen through curatorial opportunities at Neighbourhood Gallery. I also love to engage other sin making as a group. A shared experience. Art should happen and everyone is invited to partake in it.
