Meet Laura Tyagi

Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Tyagi.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I guess my story begins like most artists’ stories: with my childhood and no real memory of ever not making art. I suppose that’s where my philosophy of artmaking begins too… more on that later.

I spent my early childhood in Benton, Arkansas basically running wild. My mom worked a couple of jobs and long hours while my dad finished his studies in the Seminary. He and I spent LOTS of time together in libraries. I started reading early on and developed a pretty “healthy” imagination. I inhabited my imaginary worlds, asked too many questions, made up other languages, and generally larped around by myself until my siblings were big enough for me to force them to play my imagination games too. My grandparents gave me free reign of their sewing room and scrap wood and tools in the garage. I made all kinds of weird stuff. As long as I was reading or making something, I could stay out of trouble.

When I was a little older, we moved, and I developed new interests: Gymnastics, cheerleading, and theatre. I think this must be where my love of movement, formations and arranging things comes from. We didn’t have art class in elementary school, and through all of junior high, I only got six weeks of art. It never occurred to me that art was something I could do until my senior year. I needed an extra elective, and we had a new art teacher; Nicole Brisco. She really changed things for me. Her teaching showed me the necessity of art in education, how it’s enhanced learning in all areas and aspects of life. So, I became an art teacher.

I studied Art Education, a dual studio art and education program, at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. After college, I taught Elementary art in Plano, TX, Lexington, KY and most recently in Katy, TX. Soon after moving to Houston, I discovered Sawyer Yards Creative campus literally in my own backyard, and after eleven years of teaching in public schools, I wanted to explore teaching in a different way. My idea was to open a studio space for adults who were nostalgic for the art classes of their childhood, were never given the opportunity or were looking to explore their creativity in new ways. I very quickly realized that the first step in this process was to reconnect with my own artmaking. Although surrounded by it, I had forgotten to make it for myself. So, for the last three years, I have been rediscovering my art, my creative voice and encouraging myself to not be afraid and try new things. Funny how things work!

Please tell us about your art.
My work is about exploration and The Inner Journey. A theme I’ve recently discovered that runs throughout my work is transformation. Beginning to create art after so many years of studying and teaching art history, processes and techniques, I was at a loss for what “my” medium was. In college, I had focused on printmaking, so I started there. My mentor, Nancy Dunaway, gave me a square Gelli plate as a studio-warming gift. I began making monoprints, and the colorful squares soon turned into origami cicadas. I use the form for cicadas because I’m drawn to how alien the insect seems and how spaceship-like the origami form appears. I’m also drawn to the symbolism of the cicada. Its transformation story reminds me of Joseph Campbell’s “Hero’s Journey.”

Cicadas spend up to 17 years underground, and then emerge from the depths, cast off their old skins, and become new beings. They sing to each other and celebrate their new lives above ground in the trees for such a short time compared to the time they spend in the dark earth. It’s a beautiful and fascinating creature.

There’s a Greek myth that says cicadas were once humans who became so enchanted by the Muses, that they sang and danced themselves to death without realizing, and that the Muses then turned them into cicadas, so they needn’t do anything but sing and dance and report back to the Muses which humans honored the Muses and which didn’t. I’ve named many of my single cicadas in honor of the Muses.

My most recent exploration transforms my inner workings into literal patterns of thought. I was inspired by Julia Cameron’s book “The Artist’s Way” (a book many artists and writers use to combat creative blocks). One of the exercises is called “morning pages” in which you write three “stream of consciousness” pages every morning to tap into your creative mind. While on an artists’ retreat at Ghost Ranch in New Mexico, I finished my morning pages and then walked the labyrinth there, and I had a flash of inspiration. Like meditation, labyrinths are an ancient and known method for connecting with your spirituality.

Walking the labyrinth can bring insights, healing, and access to your inner worlds. I decided to take all my morning pages…my hopes, plans, to do lists, disappointments, aspirations and musings and transform them from cyclic patterns in my mind, to physical representations of my inner workings. My morning pages became paper clay rocks from which I build my labyrinths. It’s pretty powerful for me to be able to touch, hold and transform the intangible into beautiful patterns in the physical plane. I never thought to call myself an Artist with a capital A. My work as an artist is more of a game I play with myself. As the saying goes, “Every child is an artist, the problem is remaining an artist as he grows up.” –Picasso

I’ve always thought this was true. I believe we are all artists. We just have to remember to engage that part of ourselves. And in my case, I’m now practicing what I’ve preached to so my many students over the years.

As an artist, how do you define success and what quality or characteristic do you feel is essential to success as an artist?
Defining success as an artist is tricky. I’m surrounded by so many talented and driven artists in real life…not to mention on social media. In the beginning, I looked out and compared myself to all of them…. not even separately but like one giant conglomeration of the things I admired about each of them, and that’s hard. Comparing yourself to others is a dangerous game. Over the last three years of making art full time, I’ve learned the idea of success is incredibly subjective. What success might look like for me, can be different than what someone else wants to achieve. And that’s ok. I have to remind myself constantly, that at the end of the day and at the end of my life, I just have to be happy with and proud of how I spent my time here.

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
Currently, I have two pieces of work in a show at Winter Street Studios. The show is a really brilliant idea by some of the artists of Winter Street. It’s called “Inspiratus'” and features not just the work, but also snapshots of the inspiration behind the pieces. The show is on view through October 8, 2018. Sawyer Yards’ Fall Biannual Art Stroll is coming up October 6 from 4-9, and it’s a great way to see art and chat with many of the artists of Sawyer Yards.

You can also stop by my studio at Silver Street Studios (305) that I share with incredibly talented metalsmith and jewelry artist Jen Lam Parmer. We are open the Second Saturday of every month from 12-5 pm and available by appointment. Jen and I are also very excited to be participating in Fresh Arts’ Winter Holiday Art Market again this year. The market is held at Winter Street Studios November 16-18. The best way to keep up with me is through my Instagram. You can also view my website and follow my Facebook page Laura Tyagi Studio.

Contact Info:

• Address: 2000 Silver Street Studio 305 Houston, TX 77007
• Website: lauratyagi.com
• Email: laura@lauratyagi.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauratyagistudio/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lauratyagistudio/

Image Credit:
Laura Tyagi & Jen Lam Parmer

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