Laura Asselborn

Laura Asselborn is a German/Lithuanian visual artist based in London and Hastings. Her Bachelor in Fine Art at Brighton University in 2019 was followed by a Masters at the Royal College of Art in 2021.

Asselborn mixes sculpture, photography and video to discuss themes of looking, neurodivergent identity, the making strange, and the psychological stress of photographic and physical space.

Her work has been shown in group shows such as the Summer Show at Solaris Print, St Leonards on Sea, Rising Talent 5 at Hastings Arts Forum and Tonic at 5th base Gallery, London.

My practice shows my interest in the physicality of looking and looking as an indicator of difference:

It experiments with obstructing and distracting the initial view to create a sense of curiosity, challenge the idea of desire and seeing the image and the body as a whole. While reflecting on the vulnerability developed through the body exploring its surrounds and interacting with it as object, I am intrigued by tensions between presence and absence within the imagery.

The frame as a physical entity presents itself as a space that can be paralysing and alienating. It discusses this space also as psychological state aimed to reshape It for a neurodivergent space and expression.

I use obsolete materials or materials that have a certain vulnerable quality, and that express themselves through deprivation of colour.

Untitled III — no colour blue archival c-type, 30x40 cm

Untitled II — no colour blue archival c-type, 30x40 cm

Untitled I — no colour blue archival c-type, 30x40 cm

Fickle view is a series of images that wants to incorporates more personal openness towards living with autism, asbergers within its context.

I wanted to highlight the struggle of going back to normal for the neurodivergent community. The expectation is high and to have the adapted front of a normative mask needs practice.

The frame of the viewfinder is a high pressure space, and I wanted to show the body in its psychological state dealing with the lack of support structures and knowledge in our system and the idea of going back to a highly social environment. The body is suggesting to the outside of the frame, or hinting to its desires to the inside of the frame.The lighting gel is a brittle yet stubborn material, not only is it obsolete but links to the film like quality of our fears and thoughts.

The colour used here is called “no colour blue”, in a way it references the historical load of information that blue carries but also how all of it is a vast open space of expectation and perception and becomes almost meaningless. Hence, blue is used for its overwhelming quality.

Medium:

Archival C-type

Size:

30x40

No Colour blue I

No Colour blue II

Medium:

extend series of 'fickle view', archival c-type

Size:

30x40

analogue autism colour vail daydream Neurodiversity nocolourblue support structure

Life on Mars? — 16 mm 205t film

The film discusses the idea of touch, and the physicality of the photographic frame, the penetrative tension of the body touching that frame. The film was shot on one film reel and is shown on its original format.

A direct link is made to Bowie’s song called Life on Mars , to discuss daydreams, fantastical ideas and realities that neurodivergent people are escaping to.

Maladaptive daydreaming causes intense daydreaming that distracts a person from their real life. Many times, real-life events trigger day dreams. We use daydreams to escape or to digest traumas and to live out our fantasies. It can also be felt as a relief from the pressure of the pressures of 'normative' behaviour.