Lori Gordon is a mixed media artist and writer on the arts who grew up in the Northern Plains. She began moving west and south as a teen, spending years in the Black Hills of South Dakota and the high desert of Arizona. Along the way, she picked up a bachelor's degree in political science and a master's degree in religious studies, all the while pursuing her love of art. Largely self taught, Gordon works in many medias including graphite, acrylic, handmade paper, fabric and polymer clay. Her work may be found in galleries along the Gulf Coast, in museums in South Dakota, and in public and private collections around the country. Recently, one of her pieces was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution for inclusion into their permanent collection.
In 2003 Gordon began capturing the local landscapes of her beloved Mississippi Gulf Coast in acrylic, and continued that work until Hurricane Katrina upended her life on August 29, 2005. With her home, studio and all of her supplies washed away by the 35 foot storm surge and 150 mile per hour winds which obliterated her community, Gordon returned to work using the only materials which were available to her. Five weeks after the event, Gordon began collecting rubble and transforming it into works of art.
“The Katrina Collection” is the name she has given to this new series of mixed media collages and assemblages. The series first garnered national attention when MSNBC.COM featured the work in their series “Rising From Ruin.” National Public Radio featured The Katrina Collection on their program "All Things Considered", and her work was also covered by the Associated Press. Since then, Gordon has exhibited The Katrina Collection in venues around the nation.
This blog features a sampling of work by Gordon. To see The Katrina Collection in its entirety, please go to http://thekatrinacollectionbylorikgordon.blogspot.com. To see a slideshow and listen to an interview with the artist, log on to http://risingfromruin.msnbc.com/ For the NPR interview, go to http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=56205377.
To view a 20 minute film on Gordon's work, click on the arrow below.
To see her resume, scroll down to the bottom of the blog.
