Lauren Webster X Pacifico Optical
If you guys have been reading our newsletter or blog or haven’t been hiding under a huge rock, you should know by now that Pacifico Optical has teamed up with The Yacht Week for the 2016 European summer Yachting Season, releasing a limited edition pair of shades with all the functional features yachting shades should have. The Yacht Master features Italian Mazzucchelli acetate, and Carl Zeiss Polarised lens, with a hydrophobic coating to ensure no water or dust inhibits your view. We even thought we would throw in a nautical style cord that you can attach to your shades to prevent them going overboard whilst at sea.
As if this match made in heaven wasn’t sexy enough, we decided to turn the duo into a threesome and bring on board local Bondi Beach artist, Lauren Webster. The resulting lovechild was nothing less than awesome. Lauren got her paint on and came up with a perfect home for The Yacht Master shades; nautically illustrated packaging that resembles vintage sailor tattoos on a deep blue background, reflecting the Mediterranean Sea.
Lauren paints under the name Lauren & The Lost Boys, a name that to us has a mysterious meaning behind it, but not more mysterious than her work itself. Her work depicts cartoon like paintings of the desert and Wild West, sailors, pirates and adventures at sea. The soothing pastel colours add tranquility to the mysterious and romantic stories behind the images.
What we love more than an adventure at Pacifico, is a story of an adventure and Lauren's painting tells a good yarn. When we gaze upon them we find comfort through this nostalgic feeling, the kind of comfort you find as a child in the warmth of your own bed, your father telling you stories such as Peter Pan, his conviction making them true and your imagination running wild for days, if not years and then somebody tells us we have to grow up (damn those people). I guess what we are trying to say is that Lauren’s work taps into your imagination by delving into the fascinating world of exploration through the images depicted in her art.
We decided to sit down with Lauren and fire some questions at her about her style and the things that influence it. Have a read and learn more about Lauren and her amazing art.
PO: Do you love your Job?
LW: I do. I never really think of my art as a job though…rather it’s the thing that I muster all my energy to give to and spend every possible hour getting lost in. It simply goes hand in hand with my life and I wouldn’t have it any other way. So I guess it is a love affair of sorts.
PO: What else do you enjoy besides you work?
LW: I enjoy adventures and exploring. I love music and going to gigs. I like hunting for treasure in vintage stores. I like trying to get better at surfing… slow and steady on that front. Mostly I think I like being with friends and laughing like fools. It’s good to be reminded that we’re all a bunch of kids and that I ain’t growing up in a hurry.
PO: How would you describe your art?
LW: My art is the painted and drawn marks depicting what's inside my mind and to where it wanders. I find it a little difficult to describe my art in words… but a few that spring to mind are; analogue, heartfelt, graphic and nostalgic.
PO: Does your art reflect your personality?
LW: I think it does, if it didn’t it probably wouldn’t be authentic. I throw a lot of myself into my art. There are strong juxtapositions of imagery and themes in my work which are a reflection of myself and how I see the world.
PO: What is your main source of inspiration?
LW: I’m really inspired by imagery of the past and stories I conjure up from those themes along with my own experience. I write short poems and phrases which are tales of lovers, outlaws and pop culture. These written musings tend to form the base of my artworks. If I write about a lovelorn cowboy in a highway diner he might manifest himself in the form of a painted roadhouse sign in my work. It’s all dreaming and painting and pondering.
PO: Are you a fan of the Wild West?
LW: I love the romantic ideals of the Wild West, it’s landscape and it’s characters. I like that it’s rough and raw, pretty and seductive, scary and unpredictable. I know as well as anyone that we have idealised and fantastical perceptions of this narrative. It’s an absolute fairytale that I am happy to perpetuate.
PO: What was your inspiration behind your collaboration with Pacifico Optical?
LW: The Pacifico Optical collaboration was tailored towards a pair of shades designed for The Yacht Week. It made perfect sense to create something with a nautical theme to tie it all together. I have made artwork in the past which was inspired by stories of sailors and life at sea. I drew from those same nostalgic tales for the Pacifico artwork. The piece is inspired by paradise, distance, love, danger, sailor tattoos, adventure and the ocean.
PO: We are giving away a framed piece of your artwork to one of our lucky customers. Tell us what inspired this work?
LW: This piece is from a series of drawings that I mentioned earlier which is inspired by tales of sailors, their lovers and life at sea. The series is called SALTY. SAILOR. LOVER. and it very much ties in with the aesthetic of the artwork that I did for Pacifico. It is an original one-off pen on paper drawing of a sailor girl and I will be thrilled for her to find a new home with one of your customers!
PO: Can anyone buy your works? If so where from?
LW: Absolutely. I sell a selection of smaller pieces from the store on my website www.laurenwebster.net/shop I also sell a lot of my work directly to people who get in touch for custom commissions. The best way to reach me is via email at lauren@laurenwebster.net
I have also just opened a bricks and mortar store in Surry Hills alongside the guys I share a studio with! The space combines our art/design studio with a beautiful retail space and we are so excited about opening our doors to visitors! There will be lots of artwork for sale and you can come by and have a chat in person which is super nice.
The shop is called Fitzroy Place and you will find us at; 10b, Fitzroy Place, Surry Hills, 2010
