Laura Cannamela

Laura Cannamela
Valatie, New York, USA

STATEMENT

Living near a gorge carved from glacial flow and eroded by a creek, everyday I observe the interconnectivity of nature through small details that reflect the massive forces which shaped the environment around me. In my studio, I research topographic maps along with geological events related to a specific location, and make relief collages from a variety of papers.

My work focuses on representing the multi-layered process of land formation. Layers are integral to my subject matter and are visible, essential elements in my work. Making a connection between the landscape created through erosion by natural forces and the relief collage created through cutting away layers of paper is fundamental to my practice. In both nature and in my work, the process of layering indicates a state of transformation, a record of change over time.

My artworks reveal landscapes as they were at a time far before the presence of humans, though remnants of the geological events they reference can still be observed in our environment today. Displaying a balance between the delicacy of the layers and the robustness of the forms, these works remind us of both the fragility and the perseverance of nature in our Anthropocene Age.

Riparian environments are fertile terrains which attract and support countless life forms. By focusing on the formation of these propitious environments that have supported and enriched human life, my artwork connects us our present with the distant past and encourages us to protect these natural resources for the future.

BIO

Laura Cannamela is an American artist whose work in ceramic sculpture and collage explores the process of landscape formation. Her artwork has been displayed in numerous galleries, museums, and non-profit spaces in North America. Her collage work is currently exhibited in the US Department of State Arts in Embassies program in Timor-Leste, and was recently shown in a solo exhibit at The Hammond Museum in North Salem, NY. Her collage Arashiyama was published in Cut Me Up Magazine Issue 11: Souvenir, and displayed in the companion Souvenir exhibit at the Albany Airport in Albany, NY. Her ceramic installation Currents was selected for the Hudson Valley Artists Purchase Award and entered into the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art’s permanent art collection.

Cannamela has also received recognition for her artwork through grants from the Martha Boschen Porter Fund – a fund of the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, the Platte Clove Artist-in-Residence Program, the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA)SOS Grant Program, the NYFA Mark Program, and the Freeman Foundation, along with the Five College Center for East Asian Studies, for travel to Japan. Born in New Jersey, Cannamela received her MFA from Queens College of CUNY and currently resides in the Hudson Valley of New York.

ARTIST CONTACT

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IMAGES