Speaking of Art with Laurence Young
By M. Sebastian Araujo
Laurence Young
Cape Cod has a long history of people who have worked hard and honed their abilities. Making a basket,building a ship or creating Art. It is this spirit of continuous study and refinement that makes the work of Laurence Young always fresh and vital.Recently we had a chance to speak about what drives him to create Art!
What in the world around you inspires your work?
I would have say nature in general has shaped my work over the years.
I grew up in Newton, Massachusetts. Back then (we are talking mid-to late 50’s) It was like a rule haven. The Charles River, filled with fish, lined with Weeping Willows and cat-tails-flowed through our back yard. I spent many a day following the river and exploring that world I found secretive and captivating-A place I could hide out and play out all sorts of imaginings.
As an adult I now call Provincetown my home. Once again. I am surrounded by a constant shifting landscape through the ebb and tide of it’s oceans and water ways.-to the sand dunes that are back- lit in extraordinary light. These are the things that have inspired my canvases and from where my creative juices flow.
What changes do you see in the « Art Scene » these days?
I don’t know if I’m the best person to answer that question. My work is bit of a through back to the 40’s creating painterly decorative surfaces and color fields. So much of my work is based on emotional responses to my environment and the materials I use. My paintings are polar opposite to what is happening in art today.
Today we are living in the age where communication is no longer face to face but through screens and abbreviated texts. It would seem that we are robotically moving through life, not taking into account all the things that make us human.
The “Art scene,” as I experience it has moved away from the visceral and emotional content-directly reflecting the world we are living in-making it hard for me to relate.
Today we are living in the age where communication is no longer face to face but through screens and abbreviated texts. It would seem that we are robotically moving through life, not taking into account all the things that make us human.
What makes people collect Art?
There are various reasons as to why people collect art. Some for investment purposes others for decretive purposes . Art represents different things to different people which directly reflects why and how they collect art. For me it’s simple, I collect art because I love it.
Was there a « shining lightbulb » moment in your career when you realized that you were an artist? If so what was it?
For me there was never a “shinning light-bulb,” moment. As my mother would say I was coloring before I could walk. Creating art has always been as natural as breathing. There was no awakening moment because there was never a doubt.
How hard is it for an Artist to survive in the world we live in today?
Saying it’s not easy is kind of redundant.
But for any artist trying to ink out a living it really is a hard road to travel. Artists have to juggle their artistic pursuits while dealing with the day-to-day realities of survival. It’s a life style that is arduous and full of disappointments. In spite of the odds to be recognized and to find an audience-many of us still continue to pursue that elusive dream.
What is it about Ptown that keeps you and other creative people living there or coming back ?
Aside from the obvious that Provincetown is a uniquely beautiful place, it has a rich history steeped in art. So much of that art is made accessible through the artist’s as well as the galleries and the Provincetown Art Association and Museum. That alone becomes a magnet for myself and for the hundreds of artist that flock here!
For More about Laurence’s Work and Exhibitions Click Here:
As the tide flows in and out of this very special place where Creativity and Daily Life often color each other it is so reassuring in this ever changing World that Art is and hopefully always will be thriving and surviving here on Old Cape Cod.
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