I am an artist and designer, now
living in the Northeast. I grew up in CT, but left in 1990. I've lived all over the country -- Washington, DC; San Diego,
CA; Philadelphia, PA; Greenville, IL; St Louis, MO; Harrisonburg, VA. I didn't mean to travel quite that far, but I'm glad
I did.
I'm an everything kind of artist. Everyone has a friend who can draw turtles that don't look like bears. Someone you
ask about what color to paint your dining room or where to put the couch. That's me. I have made signs for all sorts of things,
and draw a lovely birthday cupcake. Recently, I drew a snake for my sister, so she could knit it into a scarf for her son.
I am also a thinking artist who can help a scholar turn a concept into
a compelling image, and a designer who can find a way to make a house crash without implying destruction. I think these
two roles are connected. I have studied art in internationally known places, but, like politics, all art is local. I am a
local artist, like Mary Cassatt, Keith Haring, Hannah Hoch, and Charles Burnett.
I began my career as a studio artist, and taught for 7 1/2 years at the college and university level. I am taking
a break from teaching in order to make my artmaking and design work more central. Check out the design page for examples
of my freelance work, and please contact me if you have a project that you'd like to discuss.
I've been making videos for about seven years now, often in collaboration
with musicians and other video artists. In St Louis, I worked with jj hamon, who currently plays with Theodore, Circa, and
Light Pollution, among others. He's also a great cheap-camera-operator. My videos have also featured music by André Chercka,
Zoran Tasic, and Yeeseon Kwon. Links to their work, and the work of other friends and heroes, can be found on the links page.
I'm still hoping to make a movie someday, but the Ruth and Naomi project
is on hiatus at the moment. I began writing with Carolyn Hsu, a sociologist at Colgate University
and a close friend. I had asked her what story she would make a movie of, if she had the chance, and she said, "Ruth."
Why?"Because it is the story of women, friendship, and family made out of commitment between unlikely folks."
I am working on this project in part because I think we need more stories about what love looks like in all kinds of relationships,
not just marriage and romance.
For a feature length movie, having a
good team is crucial. I've completed a script, and will return to the project eventually. If you are interested in the project,
and think you may have something to contribute, please contact me at larascott@slipperyslide.net.
