Structure & Fracture: Andrew Clausen & Susan Laughton

Andrew Clausen, born in California, USA, started his artistic journey at the cooperative studios of Art City Sculpture, Ventura. In 1999, Clausen travelled to Italy where he spent 13 years working with Italian master artisans. It is here that Clausen discovered and developed his conceptual processes and refined his choice of mediums. 

Clausen adopts an engineering technique to produce contemporary structures, whilst maintaining the natural quality of the materials. Cast concrete forms the primary basis to his compositions, with the addition of metal, graphite and ink transfers. Clausen begins with a 2-dimensional graphical sketch, which is digitally transformed into a delicate relief design and translated onto the concrete surface. The final step is the alchemy of the curing concrete, physically converting Clausen’s ideas into stone. These geometric shapes, combined with the soft muted grey tones, draws on themes found within an industrial environment. 

After twelve years working in architecture, Susan Laughton returned to education, graduating with a BA Hons in Art & Design. From 2006, Laughton has been working as a full-time artist.

Laughton’s ‘let’s see what happens if…’ procedure allows the materials to gain a sense of agency. Landscapes form the initial inspiration for Laughton’s work. She treats these sites as fluid forms, which change and alter overtime. This captures the way we, as humans, experience and see our environment. 

Both artists capture the juxtaposing relationship between the natural and the man-made world.