Lori Pond
Los Angeles, CA
Age 64

What keeps you excited in the studio?
I’ve learned to use any “mistakes” I’ve made as inspiration. In fact, a high percentage of my “mistakes” end up either changing the direction of where my artwork is going or becoming part of the finished work.

Looking back at your trajectory as an artist, how would you say your work has developed?
My work has evolved from street shooting (“1980s LA”) to creating work about impermanence, life and death, and most recently, I’ve begun a multimedia project involving video, photography and sculpture about a broken friendship.

What role do you think the artist has in today’s society?
I think the artist has an important role in shining a light on societal issues such as war, mental health and politics. Most importantly, the artist’s role is to inspire, delight, provoke and even bring humor to all of us living together on planet Earth.

What’s the most important advice you could give to an aspiring artist?
STOP. LOOK. LISTEN.

Does age matter in art? Why or why not?
With age comes experience and perspective, but youth has its advantages, such as being able to carry heavy equipment.

What can we look forward to from you next?
I’m working on a multimedia project about the loss of a friendship as seen through the ideology of the Japanese technique, Kintsugi. Kintsugi literally means “join with gold.” By repairing broken pottery with gold and glue, the object becomes more valuable than it was before the breakage. However, in my project, I’m showing that not everything can be brought whole again, and even using Kintsugi as a metaphorical “repair kit” can’t change that.

Is there anything else you would like to share about being an artist later in life?
It’s not much different than being a young artist, except now that I’m retired, I have a lot more time to develop ideas and explore the limits and possibilities of my imagination.

https://www.loripond.com
@loriapond