Breathe is a collection of large-scale abstract paintings created through the unconscious combination of bold colors and free movement. Artist Lauren Younge uses acrylics to design irregular patterns that could motivate unexpected associations and memories in her audience. Besides her regular vertical compositions, Younge experimented with rounded canvas and prominent brushstrokes that suggest the cyclical rhythm of our bodies, always thinking, always moving. For the author, however, through art witnessing, we can find a pause. To do that, the exhibition encourages the viewers to take a moment of breathing to reflect on the works of art and their own lives; to find a moment or memory that makes them feel joy; to decide what they see and what seems to them, in the pieces, beautiful and comforting. Following COCA’s commitment with audience engagement and interaction, Breathe includes both a corner of mindfulness, where visitors can have an intimate moment of meditation and grounding, and a collaborative experience of journaling, where they can locate their stories of gratitude and rest next to the framed writings of the artists.

Younge is drawn to the unrestricted expression of abstraction. She sees art as an outlet for relieving stress and translating difficult thoughts and emotions. As an artist, she creates in the moment by using the spirit and energy of her authentic emotional life. The result is an unintentional body of work, created almost by accident. Because her intentions are never set in stone, people’s perception of her work is not either. By engaging in a moment of silent contemplation or by displaying journal entries on a wall, the exhibition guests are participating in the same process of creation that generates Younge’s painting.

Younge has developed most of her pieces in St. Louis. In 2016, she graduated from Southeast Missouri State University with a bachelor’s degree in art education. She taught for four years in the St. Louis area in both traditional and nontraditional settings with students of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. Younge enjoys sharing her passion for art with young people. She completed her M.F.A. in Arts Management and Leadership at Webster University in May 2021.

laurenyounge.com