Laura Esbensen

I GREW UP IN A HAUNTED HOUSE

WITH GHOSTS I RAISED MYSELF.

My Honors Thesis Project is centered around the connection between the mind and body, specifically thinking about the physical and biological body as a sort of vessel for the abstract mind. Much of the work will feature distorted figures, drawing inspiration from cinematic body horror.

This work is a four part series, the first two parts consisting of paintings and painting installations, and the second two parts being more sculptural. In PART 1 and PART 2, I’m exploring concepts of boundaries, bodily limitations and the impact of the other, looking at toxicity as a multi-person phenomenon. PART 3 and PART 4 will explore failures of the body in regards to containing something as abstract of the mind, looking at illness and trauma.

These themes are an extension of broader motifs I explore in my work - specifically, mental illness, cognitive processing and femininity. The bold color palette is another continuation from previous work.

Currently, I am working out of a constructed studio space in my apartment living room in Oceanside, CA. I share this apartment with my partner and my many reptile pets, from which I frequently draw inspiration.