Mini Interview with Artist Lauren Rinaldi

Lauren Rinaldi – Tell personal stories through painting.

LR – I think my favorite part about painting figures is that to me a figurative painting can never really be neutral. Every body has a story and I feel like, whether the viewer knows the story or not, it’s impossible not to be affected in some way by its connection to your own body or experiences. Most of my paintings of nudes do not include a face. The reason for that is I like to play with gaze. I want the viewer to be confronted with questions like where should I be looking? What am I looking at? How should I feel? Why do I feel like this? Is this sexy? Is this grotesque? I guess I’m really interested in the relationship between the imagery and the feelings it evokes when someone has to slow down and look. Technically, though, I really enjoy painting skin – the colors, how it wraps around bone, the softness of it and the fact that in a painting I have the freedom to manipulate it however I want to.

LR – My time spent studying abroad in Rome was definitely the most inspiring thing that I experienced at Tyler. Also, my teacher Stanley Whitney taught me to really embrace color and not fear it, he also stressed the importance of painting from my whole life.

LR – It’s the only thing that doesn’t feel like work even though it’s so much work! I can spend the entire day in the studio working on murals or my own personal paintings and feel energized after and not drained. It’s always challenging, it will always be there, and it’s the only way I really know how to outwardly express my emotions.