The art of COPING with artist Laura Collins
Words by Sabrina Garnier
Laura Collins is a young emerging artist who creates bold, colourful and grandiose crochet soft sculptures. In recent years, Collins has mainly focused on using crochet as a medium and has created some grandiose versions of everyday objects in order to highlight in a bold and candid way, some of the vices some people may use in their daily lives just to cope day to day.
Artist Laura Collins x COPING SERIES
“Soft drugs” is the name of Laura’s latest artwork.
A series of soft sculptures made out of yarn, depicting off the counter medicine in a grand scale.
SOFT DRUGS 2018
The sculptures highlight the struggles of coping with mental health illness, but also underlines the social stigma associated with mental health illness and essentially open up a positive dialogue. Previously awarded for her quirky aesthetic, Laura Collin’s Fine Arts Degree Show in June 2017 was a significant moment and the start of Laura’s career as an artist. Laura showcased ‘COPING’ 2017 ‘COPING SERIES’ 2017
COPING 2017 x COPING SERIES 2017 - Laura Collins Fine Art Degree Show Bristol June 2017
Laura Collins says:
“THE IDEA HOW THESE LIFELESS OBJECTS CAN BE USED TO HELP SOME PEOPLE WITH COPING AND TO LEAD NORMAL EVERYDAY LIFE”
COPING 2017 & COPING SERIES 2017 was specially produced for Laura’s Fine Arts Degree Show in June 2017. Soft sculpture series are larger versions of lifeless objects that some people may use as momentary escapism or use to cope. COPING 2017 is a grandiose patchwork style sign of the word ‘coping’, revealing the obvious feelings & thoughts that come to mind when feeling overwhelmed.
COPING 2017
COPING 2017
Laura was also inspired by Tracey Emin’s neon signs for this particular art work.
A problem shared is a problem halved
COPING 2017 sign was made up of colourful bits of crochet pieces donated by other women from Laura’s community. ‘COPING 2017’ sign was a truly collaborative piece in the making. Bringing together people who share the same love of crochet and threading a strong support network for those who find crocheting therapeutic.
Affordable Art Fair Bristol 2017 - COPING 2017 & COPING SERIES 2017
Collins went straight from the graduation show to exhibiting at the Affordable Art Fair in Bristol 2017 and Battersea London 2018, after attracting the attention of the Affordable Art Fair Director, Sam Gare.
Sam Gare, AAF Director, June 2018 said:
“We visited the UWE Bristol Degree Show and selected six graduate artists across a range of disciplines, including photography, sculpture, installation and painting.”
Affordable Art Fair Battersea London March 2018.
COPING 2017. COPING SERIES 2017. SOFT DRUGS 2018.
COPING SERIES 2017
COPING SERIES 2017 - Amber Leaf - Cigarette Soft Yarn
“Coping Series” is a series of oversized objects that would usually be stashed in some drawer, bag or find their way in the crevice of someone’s pocket. ‘Coping items’ that would more often than usual, only to see light when the impulse to survive is triggered by a whirlwind of angst or hopelessness. Collins’ soft sculpture series beautifully portrays the extent of some coping mechanisms with a lot of honesty and humour. The soft sculptures are an honest account of some of the daily coping struggles associated with mental health illness.
SOFT DRUGS 2018
‘Soft Drugs’ reminds us of Damien Hirst's medicine cabinets display. 'Soft Drugs' is also closely linked to the concept of 'COPING Series'.”
Laura Collins at Affordable Art Fair Battersea London - Displaying SOFT DRUGS 2018
SOFT DRUGS 2018 & Artist Laura Collins
Collins reveals that crocheting is a hugely therapeutic practice and has helped to sooth her mind, transport her thoughts elsewhere.
Crochet as well as knitting, are traditional practices that can also be very versatile & contemporary if you approach them in new ways. In art history, the practice of crochet started to be recognised in the 70s & 80s by artists like Louise Bourgeois, Faith Wilding and Rosemarie Trockel, who contributed to reviving the history of the craft as ‘women’s work’ rather than being seen as a repressive domestic duty.
The compulsion to create is a human way of expression and for Artist Laura Collins, her first compulsion was to Crochet and communicate the importance of coping tools.
Artist Laura Collins at the Affordable Art Fair Bristol 2017 COPING & COPING 2017