Darwinism
by Lauren Holmes
"Darwinism" is a painting done in two different types of acrylic paint with epoxy used for the frog's eggs as well as the dew on the sundew plant. Pitcher plants and sundews are carnivorous plants. Pitcher plants wait for animals and insects to fall in. Sundews attract insects with their sticky substance to trap them before rolling up to consume them. In this piece, the frog does not fall into the pitcher plant, but survives it. It even manages to produce offspring.
Artist Bio:
Lauren Holmes Baloco is a recent alumni of The University of the Incarnate Word. Baloco graduated with honors with a BA in Art and English. She also obtained her minor in Creative Writing. She graduated last year in December 2023. Baloco plans to continue making art, writing poetry, and continues to work towards her aspirations.
Interview with the Artist
Where do you find inspiration from? What was your inspiration for this particular piece?
I take inspiration from all sorts of subjects depending on what kind of piece I'm doing. Recently, I have taken inspiration from the Vaporwave aesthetic and liminal spaces.
What is your creative process?
Part of my creative process is sketching, writing down ideas while listening to music, researching images to use as references, testing out art supplies, etc.
Is there a story your piece is trying to tell? If so, what is it?
Darwinism symbolizes the balance of life, death, survival, and finding balance. Self-Fulfillment shows one of the many flaws of humanity in its condition.
What does art mean to you?
Art is essential. It, like other art forms, is one of the most essential ways in communicating things that can be hard to put into words.