Conversations with Lauri Dunn

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauri Dunn. 

Hi Lauri, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My journey in the Denver art scene started at a pretty young age, as my mom finished up her Fine Arts degree at Metro when I was just a kid. I was sitting in on art history lectures and attending college field trips to the DAM while in Elementary School. 

I attended Maryland Institute College of art in Baltimore and received my Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Photography. After graduating I really struggled with what to do with a Fine Arts degree. I worked as a photographer for a weekly newspaper, as a sports photographer, and taught English in Russia. I served with the Peace Corps in West Africa and eventually came back to the Denver metro area to teach art with Jeffco Public Schools. This entire time, my art practice continued, as I exhibited work at various galleries in Denver and had my own studio on Santa Fe for several years. 

In 2018, I left teaching full-time to focus on my art. I still occasionally show with galleries in Denver, but focus most of my energy into showing at Art Fairs around the United States. It’s really hard work but allows me a lot of flexibility in my schedule, I get to travel to new places all the time, and I love being able to connect with art buyers in real life. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I have always created art, and that part of the journey has been easy. The business side of art has been a bit tougher for me. From finding new exhibition opportunities and affordable workspace to the mundane tasks of bookkeeping and shipping work. I truly am a one-woman show, and that can be exhausting. 

Covid really upended things for me as well. I was in Scottsdale, Arizona, setting up for my first art fair of 2020, when the world began shutting down. The Scottsdale show was cancelled after I had spent two days driving there and setting up. I had 8 shows scheduled for 2020 and not a single one of them happened. Almost overnight I had to pivot from almost 100% in-person sales to online, wholesale, and corporate art buying. 

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My work has always focused on exploring the boundaries of photography. 

For the last 4 years, I’ve focused on photographing various insects and transforming them into 2-dimensional digital collages and three-dimensional photo sculptures. In my two-dimensional work, I begin to rotate a segment of the insect image in a radial patterns using Photoshop. Often, I will layer sections of the photograph and adjust the transparency to give the illusion of depth and space. Finished digital collages are mounted to cradled wooden board, then coated with art resin. 

In my photo sculptures, I print hundreds of images of wings, then fold them into three-dimensional shapes. I repeat these shapes in a tessellating pattern until I have a sculpture reminiscent of a kaleidoscopic image. The final pieces are mounted on aluminum, then coated with resin. My work is inspired by the natural world, but I bring my love of the urban environment to each piece with strong contrast, geometric forms, and a metallic resin finish. 

What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
Perseverance is key. It’s easy to look at other artists and think that their career happened overnight. That’s rarely the case- it’s the slow filling of a cup. You have to show up, take risks, don’t second guess yourself, and just keep going. 

Pricing:

• Limited Edition Prints: $50-1250
• Photo Sculptures: $3500-7500

Contact Info:

• Email: laurirosedunn@gmail.com
• Website: www.laurirosephotography.com
• Instagram: @laurirdunn
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laurirdunn