‘LOST VANITY’ – LRM X MOLTON BROWN
BANG!!
The sound of my mum’s heavy loft door opening. As I climbed up the loft ladder, I knew I was in for a day of reflection and possibly something more…
They say, “you should never look back” but so much of the artist I am today is more because of my journey than destination. I believe that in order to create something new, we need to explore, reassess and most importantly understand some old jewels of the past. Without appreciating our past, I do not believe we are truly able to make the spiritual progress we need in order to reach our next goal. My archived artwork are the building blocks in creating the LRM that you see today, and it turns out that a little trip down memory lane was just the inspiration that I needed…
VANITY MEETS NOSTALGIA
As I explored the canvases in my mother’s loft, some big, some small, some unfinished, I found myself transported back to the time and feeling I had whilst creating that painting or sketch. I was reminded that so much of what I do best as an artist happens when I simply follow the trail of my creative intuition.
I propped up several of my canvases against one of the loft’s beams and sat down on a dusty old chair to take it all in. I realised that a lot of my work depicts a form of glamour and maybe some might even say vanity. I wondered, how much of that has come from my own personal journey as a female. As humans we all want to be seen, if not for our looks but for intelligence.
The truth is, we want to be respected and admired, not only by the opposite sex but everyone. So much of the beauty industry and social media culture today is about being seen as a
completely manufactured representation of ourselves. Yet it is the version we cannot resist believing as real and in turn feed our desire for perfection whilst making judgements. Judgement of others and the biggest judgment is the one we make of ourselves. And so, the questions arose, are we always so influenced by how we ‘brand’ ourselves? And is this what modern-day vanity is all about?
Lost in thought, I then spotted a clear plastic storage box labelled “Memories”, intrigued, I rummaged through the box and found an old cassette tape labelled “The Lauren Rogers-Martin Show” – I smiled. I instantly knew what this long-lost gem was. As a child, I would love enacting entertainment shows for my mum. The show would have me singing, dancing and storytelling. Immersed in nostalgia, I was instantly transported to my childhood where vanity once existed as carefree confidence and your character was more attractive than the number of Instagram followers you have.
LRM X MOLTON BROWN
Who knew that taking a little time out and visiting yesteryear could be so creatively uplifting? Nostalgia is an emotionally powerful reaction. Realising the fleeting nature of our experiences can often elicit fond memories for times past and times that were simpler. We have this amazing ability to engage in mental ‘time travel’ using our senses, with scents and visuals being the perfect portal to those memories.
Molton Brown is an iridescent brand of memories in itself and provides the most auspicious partnership to display my first solo exhibition. This iconic brand, who are honoured with a Royal Warrant, have mastered the art of luxurious scents and beautifully align nostalgia with individuality. Just as art awakens the imagination and tantalises the senses, so does the charm of alluring scents.
THE EXHIBITION: LOST VANITY
The Lost Vanity Exhibition invites you to reconnect and reflect. When I started out on my journey as an artist, the expression of individuality and beauty were often blurred by the lines of fear; the fear of being judged, the fear of being misunderstood and even the fear of how I would be perceived. It turns out that some wistful memories can remind you of the power of loving the original you, the imperfect and inconvenient you. And if you can find someone to love the you, you love, well, wouldn’t that be nostalgically wonderful?
Please email me if you would like to be invited to the exhibition hello@artbylrm.com, I would love to see you!
With Love
Lauren x
