Meet Lori Pond | Visual Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lori Pond and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lori, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I think I was born without the fear gene, because I’ve always taken risks. The biggest risk I ever took was when I bought a Harley-Davidson motorcycle without knowing how to ride a motorcycle. I had a few close calls, but I kept riding!

I’ve learned from that experience to always look at my mistakes as gifts. My newest body of artwork has benefited well from me paying close attention to all my mistakes, and then utilizing them in my final pieces.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
The fragility and impermanent nature of life is at the core of my practice. I look deeply at all things for inspiration: the gifts of the natural world, the richness of paintings and human expression, poetry, and the deep well of my life. As a visual artist, I am drawn to ephemeral, impermanent moments, moments that are fleeting and hold a bit of magic, but also hold a certain power and preciousness in their short existence. My projects are about finding those small gestures that speak to the senses, that are often unseen and overlooked, understanding that impermanence and loss can be a profoundly beautiful reminder of what it means to be alive.

I have many differing bodies of work, but the two I’m most proud of are “Bosch Redux” https://loripond.com/bosch-redux
and my newest work, “As I See It.” https://loripond.com/as-i-see-it-portraits

With “Bosch Redux,” I recreated details from the 15th century painter Hieronymous Bosch’s paintings. I hired models, prosthetic and prop designers, painters, makeup artists to make my photographs look like Bosch’s work.

“As I See It” came about after I read neurological studies that state our brains, as a survival mechanism, can only process a few things at a time. Thus, most of the information we take in visually is thrown out, and/or given less prominence in order not to overwhelm our senses. In my work, I’m picking out what I notice most in an image, and I give it more prominence, either by rotating or enlarging a section, segmenting/vignetting other sections, or colorizing select areas. I’m trying to replicate what I think my brain is selecting what I see, not what my eyes select/see. Consequently, I’m also trying to figure out what my brain registers as “important.”

My path to where I am today as an artist has been very circuitous. When I was in my teens, I studied classical music, playing flute and piano. I graduated with a degree in music performance from Indiana University. Then, I abandoned my music career for journalism. I got a Masters degree in Broadcast Journalism from USC. After that, I spent the next decades working as a graphic artist in TV and films. All along the way, photography was beside me, and as I began winding up my TV career, I got more and more serious about my art career. For the last 10 years, I’ve been making conceptual art with my camera. I learned from working so hard in TV that I needed to appreciate every moment, and live life to the fullest. Life is too short to be chained to a job forever. I want people to know that all of us, in one way or another, have the artist’s spirit within. One just has to keep looking out for it.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
First, I’d take my friend (and my dog, Kellie) up the coast of California to Carmel. We would visit the Center of Photographic Art, then meander over to the Cypress Inn, where we would soak up the sunshine in the beautiful patio bar while having a nice cocktail and petting all the dogs and cats that are allowed full access to the premises (thanks to Doris Day, who originally owned the hotel). We’d spend the night there, then the next day we’d drive back down the coast and stop at Point Lobos to hike and enjoy the panoramic views and sea air. Once we’re back in LA, I’d take her out to one of my favorite restaurants, Modan Ramen. It’s in a mini-mall right by my house, and has the most delicious bento box specials, and of course, ramen! The next day we would take a hike in the San Gabriel Mountains, perhaps visiting the Mt. Wilson Observatory and peeking through their telescope. Then, we would take a side trip to Glendora, and tour the Rubel Castle, which was one man’s crazy dream of a house built out of coke bottles, rocks, you name it. The place even has a drawbridge at its entrance. We would definitely hit a concert by the LA Philharmonic in the acoustically and aesthetically-perfect Walt Disney Hall, designed by Frank Gehry. Before the concert, we would head to Grand Central Market, and scoop up some amazing Korean cuisine. My friend’s trip to LA couldn’t be complete without taking her to my favorite neighborhood bar, Walt’s, which is a converted plumbing shop. Walt’s advertises Pinball, Fine Beer and Wines, and Vegan Hot Dogs. Then, we’d head over to the newly re-opened Eagle Theater for a screening of whatever period movie they happened to be showing that night. Next door, we’d peruse the over 60,000 rental DVDs on tap at Vidiots’ new location. The next day, I would take her down to my favorite beach, Crystal Cove, which is in between Newport Beach and Laguna Beach. We’d enjoy walking alongside the tide pools, past the rental bungalows perched on the cliffs, then make our way over to The Beachcomber restaurant. Every day at 5pm, the restaurant hoists a martini flag and plays a little Happy Hour song. After our scrumptious meal on the sand, we’d trudge up the cliff to the Shake Shack, and get the world’s best date shakes. On the last late morning before she left, we would indulge in a brunch at the iconic and celebrity-strewn Chateau Marmont in Beverly Hills.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are innumerable people I’d like to thank, grateful they’ve been put in my path, but it would be such a long list! Above all, I thank and am grateful to my parents for sending me down my life’s path. They supported all my interests, whether they were music performance, journalism, photography, etc. I am the person I am today due to them, and for that I dedicate my shoutout to William and June Niederhauser.

Website: https://www.loripond.com

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lori.pond.7/

Image Credits
Lori Pond