People of TampaBay Interview 2017

 

"Can you speak a little bit on how you got your start making art and what your path has been like getting to where you are now"?

I’ve been immersed in theatre since I was 14 and my theatre friends started asking me to paint scenery. Around the same time my whole family would put on entertainment “shows” in our front yard and every year for Halloween I designed and painted all the sets. The neighborhood adored us. And our theatrical productions inspired others to create their own scenery to entertain, not scare. So my background is seeped in theatre and entertainment.... Read Full Interview HERE

 

Rose Brand Interview 2016

Lazaridis working on discarded theatre curtain from Rose Brand. Photo courtesy of Grace Studio.

Lazaridis working on discarded theatre curtain from Rose Brand. Photo courtesy of Grace Studio.

Rose Brand sponsors and interviews Lazaridis as a highlight of their weekly blog.

"What was the concept for “Broken Legs”?
I’ve been obsessed with the hauntings of theater since I was 14. I remember hiding backstage to eat my lunch and feeling this weighty presence, even though I was completely alone. I loved finding out the history of theater superstitions and trying to visualize them. These paintings were an effective way for me to share my love affair with the theatre, both the physical space and the spiritual-emotional atmosphere that lingers there. 

How did you come up with the idea to use old theatre curtains and give them a new life?
I’ve been working with old discarded theatrical platforms and steps for several years. I wanted to do some work on fabric and toy around with a theatre curtain, mainly the black masking legs. Eric Haak, a fantastic technical director and dear friend, said he had some old ones and offered them to me. I thought it would be the perfect substitute for bought canvas.

What were the unique parts of working with old curtains?
I love the fussiness of the velour. It’s the most difficult fabric I’ve worked with and seems to have a mind of its own. When applying paint to it, some areas refused to soak any more paint. I like the idea that I have this giant velour creature hanging in my studio and one day it wants me to paint on it and one day it doesn’t.

What were some road bumps you hit creating these pieces? 
Whenever I applied water to the curtains, the fabric would appear stained or damaged. The stains, I later found out, were salts from the fire retardant that surfaced from the water. I liked the shapes of the stains and ended up working around them. They became personality flecks on the pieces, like birthmarks...."

Full Interview HERE


"Ghost Light" work in progress. Photo courtesy of Grace Studio

"Ghost Light" work in progress. Photo courtesy of Grace Studio

Creative Loafing Tampa's Caitlin Albritton interviews Lazairidis for upcoming solo exhibit in Manhattan

"Over 1,100 miles away from home, local artist Rebekah Lazaridis is enjoying her first New York City solo show, a milestone for this St. Petersburg painter. The Sheen Center for Thought and Culture, a theater and art gallery located in the heart of lower Manhattan, is hosting Lazaridis’s works. After seeing her book cover art for Velva Heraty’s The Dream Belongs to the Dreamer, the Sheen Center’s art director contacted the St. Pete native for an opportunity to show off her work to the big city. Taking the venue into consideration, her show, “Broken Legs: An Art Exhibit on Theater Superstition,” explores the histories and myths behind the actions thespians take to ward off the bad-luck spirits in order to have a successful show"...

Full Interview HERE