A Conversation Between Lauren Prado and the Student Curatorial Committee
These interview questions were co-written by Ana, Diana, Isaiah, Rocky, Solianna, and Ja'Miyah, the student curators of Lauren Prado’s solo exhibition in KSMoCA’s MLK Jr Gallery, and Lauren responded to them on November 18, 2019.
When did you start being an artist? What got you started?
I think I was always an artist! I loved drawing and creating as a child! I would watch cartoons a bunch, and dreamt of being able to draw my own cartoons one day! So I would sit and draw all the characters from the TV shows I liked!
What kind of art do you make?
Most of the time I make art with fiber! That means things like yarn and fabric! I like making art that focuses on ideas about social media, the internet, people, and how they all coexist.
In sad times do you make art? Can you explain why or why not?
This question is so important! Yes, I think it’s important to continue to try to create even when you are feeling sad. It helps the sad times feel a little better! When I finished a project when I’m feeling down, it helps me get a sense that it’s not all bad!
Why don’t you use color on your shoes?
I think using only black and white gets to many of the points I’m trying to address. Like when I talk about the speed of these new tennis shoe designs coming out almost every other day, the parallel is in the mimicry of a sketch drawing! Something that’s quick and fast just like our constant need for new products on our social media feeds!
Do you want to design your own shoe? Can you make a wearable shoe?
I really want to design a REAL and WEARABLE shoe! Maybe one day in the future I’ll learn the technical skills to create a shoe!
Have you made a shoe with your dogs name on it?
HAHA! No, I have not! But I should! I could call the shoe THE ASPARAGUS 19’s, this question got me drawing! What do you think about these sketches? :)
Who inspired you to do this?
I think I have to say that my inspiration behind the shoes is Instagram! It’s because of this social media app and the algorithm that started putting so many pictures of shoes on my feed! One little “like” on a photo changed the content I was being given.
