Artist Loren Eiferman

Loren Eiferman was born in Brooklyn, NY and currently lives and works in the Hudson Valley, NY. After studying in France, she received her BFA from SUNY Purchase. Her art work has been exhibited extensively at museums and galleries throughout the New York Tri-State region and is included in many prestigious private and corporate collections both here in the US and globally.

In 2014 she received a public works commission from the NYC Metropolitan Transportation Authority in which she translated her wood sculptures into a series of metal railings at the Pelham, NY Train Station.

"I want the viewer to have a sense of wonder and awe when looking at my work. We have all at one point or another picked up a stick from the ground—touched the wood, peeled the bark off with our fingernails. My work taps into that same primal desire of touching nature and being close to it. Trees connect us back to nature, back to this Earth. Over many decades I have created a unique technique of working with wood—my primary material. To craft my work, I usually begin with a drawing. I start out each day collecting tree limbs and branches that have fallen to the ground. Next, I debark the stick and look for shapes found within each piece of wood. I then cut and permanently join these small shapes together using dowels and wood glue. Then, all the open joints get filled with a home made putty and sanded. This process of putty and sanding usually needs to be repeated at least three times. It is a very time consuming process and each sculpture takes me a minimum of a month to build. The sculpture that is being constructed appears like my original line drawing but in space. I am interested in having my work appears as if it grew in nature, when in fact each sculpture is usually composed of hundreds of small pieces of wood that are meticulously crafted together. My work can be called the ultimate recycling: where I take the detritus of nature and give it a new life. My influences are many: from looking at the patterns in nature and plant life on this Earth to researching the heavenly bodies in the images beamed back from the Hubble Telescope; from studying the mysterious 15th century Voynich Manuscript to exploring the black and white photographs from the turn of the century photographer Karl Blossfeldt.. All these influences inspire me daily."

Tell us a little about yourself (where you are from) and your background in the arts.

I was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. Ever since I was a little girl, I was always wired to create things. During high school, I used to take weekend and after school art classes at the Brooklyn Museum Art School (when they still had an art school) and night time sculpture classes at Brooklyn College. I loved taking classes at the Brooklyn Museum---after class I would spend hours walking and exploring their collection. They have the most extraordinary Egyptian and African art wings. I ended up majoring in art during my college years with a focus on sculpture and collage.

I spent a year in France studying drawing and my favorite professor was a Danish artist named Erich Koch. He set up our studio like the Hans Hoffman School in NYC. We drew everyday in charcoal, from a model on the same size piece of paper for a solid year. That time, more than anything in my education taught me the value of just showing up and "putting your body in the position of working" and being present to what is in front of me. It was a valuable lesson that I continue to call on daily.

What kind of work are you currently making?

I am currently working on three pieces. One piece that I've been working on for the past three months is a chandelier-like work that will hang from the ceiling. Another work is a flower based work inspired from my Voynich Manuscript series and the last work is a surprise! Every summer it seems I experiment with new forms and materials and since the summer isn't over yet--I'm still at it!

I tend to work on multiple pieces at once since there is so much downtime in waiting for the glue to dry. I also make what I call my "morning drawings" almost daily.

What is a day like in the studio for you?

I start my day with a morning walk where I collect sticks and frequently work out technical issues of how to build and "engineer" my work. There is as much thought involved outside of my studio as there is during the time I spend in it. After my morning walk and chores, I usually get to my studio around 10:30/11am. Depending on what was left unfinished on my studio floor the night before, I might continue working on a sculpture or work on what I call my "morning drawings". These are drawings done in a sketchbook of images culled from The New York Times. I usually work on these mixed media drawings in the mornings. I love color and this is a way to keep my hand coordinated, explore color and keep my "art endorphins" alive daily. I frequently work on multiple sculptures at once, since my construction process takes so long.

A good day for me is when my tools stay sharp, the wood I'm working on is solid and strong and everything flows with minimal distractions. I love when at the end of my day I can see the progress that has been made and have an idea of what to work on when I start my next studio day. It's a constant cycle and my process is definitely in the category of "slow work" --each of my sculptures can take me months to build.

What are you looking at right now and/or reading?

I am currently reading two books. One is "Presence: The Art of Being at Home in Yourself" by Tracy Cochran. The other book is "Homegoing" by Yaa Gyasi. Last week I finally got to MOMA to see the Hilma af Klint and the Jack Whitten exhibitions. They both blew my mind and were so inspiring.

Where can we find more of your work? (ex. website/insta/gallery/upcoming shows)

Website: www.loreneifermanart.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loreneiferman/

I currently have over 30 works out in two different locations. One show is "Vibrant Matter: Engaging Energies" at the Crooked Tree Art Center in Michigan. The other gallery where I've been showing and selling my work is the Kelly McKenna Gallery in NJ. I will be having a solo show at Convey/er/or Gallery in Poughkeepsie in December.