In my work, I want to present a point and counter point to nature and how man interprets it by creating artifices. Man has been representing, reinterpreting, and abstracting nature for thousands of years, primarily by placing ornamentation on functional objects. I am interested in taking the ornament that is found on many objects and reorienting them into an installation. One idea is to show the many interpretations and abstractions of nature by using domestic, artificial and redesigned nature as representatives for the synthetic. Another idea is to set the stage for the viewer to interpret how the many artificial facades that surrounds us effects our lives though superficial beauty. By using domestic iconography as a jumping point into how ornament is used to supplement natural beauty our every day life. I am demonstrating how these objects can be redesigned into sculptural, architectural forms that become ornament themselves. When I choose which type of decorative elements to apply, I often look for elements that have a strong social history, which I purposefully apply into the installation. I arrange my installations using architectural techniques, such as directional space to create a movement within the piece. By redesigning, applying and creating ornamentation, I am building a new installation that can physically direct the views ideas of ornament, artifice and beauty, not just visually.


Lauren Dombrowiak