Lauren Skelly Bailey
Lauren in her studio.
Dedicated to the investigations of clay and mixed media, Lauren Skelly Bailey explores surface, form, and materiality in her assemblages, sculptures, and installations. In 2015 Skelly received her MFA from Rhode Island School of Design with a focus in Ceramics. Skelly has studied at Adelphi University from 2008-2014, where she obtained her MA and BFA degrees in Studio Arts. In 2018 Skelly's studio practice traveled to C.R.E.T.A. Rome for a summer residency that involved; implanting her coral formations into walls, streets, and buildings in Rome. This project has since evolved into a Coral Drop project, in which Skelly installs her work into the everyday landscape on Long Island and documents the work on social media. Viewers are welcome to take a piece and share it with Skelly, where they have freshly implanted it in their own surroundings.
Skelly has exhibited her work nationally and internationally. In 2018 at the Museum of Arts & Design, Skelly showcased installations, photographs, decorative vessels, and conglomerates in her first solo exhibition in a museum. The work for this show was created at MAD through her residency in 2017, images of her Coral Drops in Rome, and a coral assemblage series, "Constructing Awkward Beauty." This coming March, Skelly's work, "Bangarang," will be on view at the Weston Gallery in Cincinnati as part of the Social Recession exhibition curated by Shannon Rae Stratton, as part of the annual NCECA conference. In addition to her studio practice, Skelly teaches community art classes & visual art at Iona College in New Rochelle.
Can you tell us a bit about the process of making your work?
Lauren Skelly Bailey
Bangarang, 2020
glazed ceramics (multiple firings)
15 x 12 x 8 inches (38.1 x 30.48 x 20.32 centimeters).
The work is compiled from a variety of clay made form made through hand building, mold made and wheel thrown parts. On a given studio day; the work might focus on laying out clay strips to paint, and construct coral or I might be adding more wet clay to a glazed pot to add another layer of material. I have never been someone to sit and work on one thing. Lately I am revisiting old pots. I am building new layers of coils, smoothing them, and incorporating more glazed forms in this new layer onto the surface of something that has already been fired. The process of firing the work starts over, and the layers keep being applied until deemed done. This second chance of being something else is important to my practice in the studio and out of it.
What are you working on at the moment?
Currently I am working with soy wax, crayons, and ceramic sculptures to create shrines. This series of pieces builds a space of candle light that I put forward hopes, or draw out feelings that need somewhere else. Growing up Catholic -- my religion has shown me that in moments of need; that I should draw out the despair through lighting a candle and through prayer. The idea of a candle creating a space of stillness is needed today -- for me at least.
Your work is beautifully layered both in the number of ceramic firings and in their color. Can you talk about the importance of building and layering in your practice?
Lauren with her work.
I consider myself a maker of earthy lasagnas, so the layering of color is a challenge in my work. I use commercial, and self made glazes in my work. It takes quite a bit of time to make connection with how glazes will react on a given surface. My studio time involves a lot of test tiles, which I use to sample colorants and glazes to see or predict how layering them will affect a surface. With the research aspect of my practice constantly going on, I am able to find the layerings I desire for a piece. That is not always right, there's some room for error, or that happy accident to occur. I find that the literal layer of glaze, clay, and materials I use helps create a rich landscape of surface for my pieces. In more recent works, I have broken some of my own rules about building wet clay on top of glazeware. In the beginning this challenge of would it work was exciting. After finding out it could work, I could start over with a previous form, I have started to embrace second changes with my ceramic work. With the addition of wax, I have some more control of the drips of color running down the work too.
What are some references you draw upon in your work? Are there any themes in particular that you like to focus on when creating?
I have studied corals quite a bit in grad school, there was a connection to someone beyond this world, that I felt I could use corals as a vehicle to explore fragility, and vulnerability. Corals have a curious lifestyle, going through changes due to their surroundings similar to humans.
Lauren Skelly Bailey
Longing for Ruin, 2020.
5.5 x 5 x 8 inches (13.97 x 12.7 x 20.32 centimeters).
Glazed ceramic (multiple firings) and wax.
Where are some of your favorite spaces that support contemporary art or design? Now that the art has an online presence has that changed?
I am a huge fan of the Museum of Arts and Design, they have always supported women of art and craft. MAD has a residency program that supports emerging artists through offering two kinds of residencies one is NYC based artist fellowship and the other is a once a week residency. MAD has built this network of artists through this program that range from cake decorators to designers and ceramic artists. This program allows for artists to connect to museum goers (pre Covid). Their curators also have access to these artists for opportunities to show in the museum as well. In 2018, my first NYC solo show came out of being a resident artist at MAD. This kind of support for artists is very helpful. They even offer events for alumni to discuss work, taxes, and packaging work. From what I understand they've been able to adapt their residency program for COVID now as well by offering online residencies and in person with the current Covid guidelines. The community at MAD has been life changing, and I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to make work, and show work at MAD.
Do you have any shows coming up? Anything else you would like to share
This March I will be leading a conversation through NCECA conference on parenthood and keeping an art practice afloat entitled, "Studiohood." Hoping to connect with more artist parents before then to chat about the juggling that happens, the hard stuff, the funny moments or just be an ally. I welcome all art moms and dads to reach out.
Lauren Skelly Bailey’s work is included in our show “Eternal Flame,” Jan. 1st – Feb. 28th. Visit her website or Instagram (@lsbstudio_ny) to see more of her work.