Today we’d like to introduce you to Loren Hextall.
Hi Loren, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Art has been a constant in my life that has carried me through change from a young age. I was born in Australia and raised in New Zealand before moving to the Midwest at 15 and then onto the West Coast at 27. Through this, my art practice has been a refuge, a place for introspection, and a vessel to find my voice.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The creation of art has been a tumultuous lesson in vulnerability. My art practice became a tool of self-reflection so the development of work that feels authentic requires continual self-excavation. It is a confronting experience to create as much as it is to share, but it is a necessary practice that continues to shape my understanding of the experiences of my life.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I received my BA from Hamline University in Minnesota through a small and passionate art department. Here I was introduced to life drawing, which set the foundation for what has now been a decade of study. My work evolved through the repetition and reduction of the figure. Layers form as lines are revisited, figures are overlaid, and the surface repurposed. This process of layering has allowed for fluidity within my work and hazy sense of finality. This has become a signature that allows the product to be fully informed by its process of creation and allows the work to evolve as I do.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
I am very fortunate for the continual mentorship of my college professors. Allison Baker, now a professor at Herron School of Art & Design in Indianapolis, states she “clawed her way into higher education with a thesaurus and words she cannot pronounce” and has always been transparent about the practical components of cultivating an art career. The creation of art is one battle, but the business that surrounds it is often overlooked in a studio arts education. Even 8 years after graduation, Allison continues to be an advocate and reality check through the pursuit of art.
Contact Info:
- Website: lorenhextall.com
- Instagram: loren_hextall
