Keep it on the Down Low
by Lauren Holmes Baloco
About the Artist
My name is Lauren Holmes Baloco. I am a junior at UIW. My majors are Art and English while my minor is in Theatre Arts. My graduation year may be in 2022 or 2023.
Interview With The Artist
What inspired you to create this piece? I drew this original character out of an attempt at body horror art from this awesome artist by the Tumblr name Bubble Baath. I wasn’t quite sure what to do at first. Then after a few ideas that I wrote down I wanted to do something involving this poor creature. I remembered the rooms that people have drawn where they were brightly colored and cute. I wanted to make it surreal to reference things about the character like how they felt or what they struggle with etc. while still having some cute elements to it, but not in a way that romanticizes psychological disorders or trauma or anything related to it.
What does your piece represent? I can’t say that this piece represents one sole thing. There are multiple interpretations that can be taken from it. The room shows little signs that it is falling apart. Contrary to what bedrooms should be, there is no security in this one especially when there is a plastic shower curtain that reveals everything to the viewing Eye which is shown to the viewer(s) of the piece as the clothed curtains are pulled back. I’m still not quite sure where the void in the background leads to even though it leads to somewhere. I drew what I felt first instead of thinking of what the piece would represent.
Describe the creative process. I measured out the room and drew every detail in pencil first. I noticed the placement of the room and knew I needed to add something for balance. I draw the clean water flowing out of a filter for sewage in order to allow the water to flood out of the room, overflowing off the edge. I drew over the pencil drawing with the ink pen. I crosshatched to give the objects value. For the finishing touches/cover ups I used a white pen.
How does this piece of artwork relate to you authentically? I have dealt with what it feels like to not feel safe and other negatively intense emotions towards something that I can’t change, but know and understand I had/have to escape from. This relates to my own psychological issues. On a lighter note, some of the details I slipped into the piece itself alludes to two out of several of my favorite artists – Aurelio Voltaire and Takashi Murakami. Their color schemes juxtapose each other.
Could you explain the use of the eyes? The Eyes can be anyone. You may or may not know them. Eyes are supposed to be the window to the soul, but sometimes it seems like the soul isn’t there. The Eyes hold a self-entitlement to judging the thing that inhabits (or inhabited the room). (Just as a clarification, this drawing is not about cancel culture.) The Eyes can even have a paranormal connotation to it; we may see things others don’t see symbolically or we see things we normally don’t see like the dead. The role can be reversed. The things we don’t see can see us.
Editorial Comments:
“This art has an unsettling yet intriguing theme that definitely stands out to captivate its audiences with its texture, shades, and hidden details.”
“I notice all the eyes which make me think what it signifies and why he hates the eyes. The piece looks like an interesting dream.”
“It feels both simple and complex at the same time”
Team Judgement:
We believe this artist did an excellent job with their art piece in the following categories: Originality, Execution, Content, Craftsmanship and Relevance.