On display at the Connie A. Eastburn Gallery:

About the Artist

Laura Sallade (b. 1990; Reading, PA) is an artist living and working in Philadelphia, PA. She obtained a Certificate in Sculpture from The Pennsylvania Academy of The Fine Arts in Philadelphia in 2013 and, during her studies, was awarded numerous grants and scholarships. Her works have been exhibited throughout Pennsylvania, New York, Montana, and Maryland. Her artwork can also be found in private collections around the world in cities such as Paris and Marseille.

Artist Statement

My practice investigates the relationship between light and material. Primarily using glass, silver nitrate, mylar, and resin, I produce multi-layered reflective works. I employ the analytics of math, chemistry, and optics alongside the intuition of memory and play, creating evocative gestural works that invite viewers to meditate and reflect. While my wall-hung glass works read as paintings, they are sculptural in their essence and walk the line between image and object. Rather than traditionally rendering light, I rely on its physical presence and absence, conveying emotional memories and capturing fleeting moments from my subconscious. Pushing the boundaries of depth within 2D works, I chemically deposit silver on glass, creating mirror-like marks; as a result, these luminous works are interconnected to the spaces they inhabit. While painting with both textural opacity and ethereal translucency, I often excavate entire parts of a composition through hand-cut elimination, revealing my silver marks beneath and relying on suggestive remains. My work communicates a mysterious and paradoxical understanding of the world, highlighting our transient and skewed perception of light through observation and materiality. Inspired by the landscape and layered facades of Philadelphia, my recent work embodies the fabric of urban chaos while exploring ideas of metropolitan flux and tension.

My process is technically complex and distinct, born out of an arts education at The Pennsylvania Academy of The Fine Arts that allowed me to develop and experiment with my unrestricted curiosities. Constantly wondering how I can divest myself from the material and instead use it as a learning tool, I commit daily to working from an energizing humility rather than an exhausting ego. Instead of planning every step of the process and resigning to a predetermined outcome, I allow the process to surprise me. Often working on multiple projects and ideas at once, I never know what layers will end up together in the end. Inspired by artists such as John Cage, Pat Steir, Jose Parla, and Sam Gilliam, I create utilitarian objects that offer my viewers a space to think critically, pay attention, and reflect.