"We are all buried treasure."
Art statement |
About A. Laura Brody |
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We are all buried treasure.
I re-imagine mobility scooters, wheelchairs, and walkers as sculptures and turn scrap fabrics into portraits and wearable art. My artworks are exuberant, colorful, detailed, and larger than life. They open up conversations about disability, social justice, sustainability, and waste. I choose materials that are often overlooked and discarded, and transform them into objects that demand attention. My curiosity with how we view disability led me to develop Opulent Mobility, a series of art exhibits that celebrate disability. The idea began when my former partner had a stroke. During his physical therapy, I met an 85 year old man and a four year old girl doing stroke rehabilitation. It was crystal clear that disability could happen to anyone at any age for any reason. While I was fascinated at the adaptive devices that helped people get around, I was put off by their cold and clinical designs. Eventually, I invited others to re-imagine disability through the lens of art. Along the way, I am coming to grips with my own chronic health issues. "World Gone Good" podcast interview Ikouii spotlight on A. Laura Brody |
Laura Brody sculpts for the human body and its vehicles. She is the founder of Opulent Mobility, a series of exhibits that re-imagine disability as opulent and powerful. She is also the host of Genius Teatime, a series of talks that explore fascinating folks from all walks of life. Recently her curatorial work expanded with exhibits on the Goddess in all her forms and commentary on the Plague. Ms. Brody is a skilled and innovative artist, curator, and educator who re-imagines disability as something to celebrate, not fear. Along with her disability arts community she builds opportunities and starts genuine conversations about diversity, access, and inclusion.
Brody began her professional career as a costume designer and maker, working in film, television, opera, dance, and cosplay. She changed course many times but kept returning to art making, community learning, and social justice. Her artwork has been shown at ACE/121 Gallery, Art Share LA, Brea Gallery, California State University Northridge, the Charles River Museum of Industry, the Dora Stern Gallery, Ikouii Creative, the Los Angeles Makery, Westbeth Center For the Arts, and The World of Wearable Art. Opulent Mobility has shown at the Mike Curb Gallery at CSUN, Thymele Arts, Arts Unbound, AVC Gallery, online, and The Los Angeles Makery and is scheduled to show at Brand Library in 2025 for the exhibit’s 10 year anniversary. |
Press
Interview on Hey Human, 2022. Photo by Heidi Marie Photography.
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Interview of A. Laura Brody on the podcast "Who Lives Like This", 2019. Photo by Stephanie Shanks.
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Interview with Arts Ably, 2024. Photo by Heidi Marie Photography.
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exhibitions
SOLO EXHIBITS:
2023 The Makery, Los Angeles, CA 2021 Ikouii Creative, online 2018 Highways Gallery, Santa Monica, CA 2017 917 Garage, Silverlake, CA CURATION: 2025 OM at Brand Library & Art Center 2024 OM at the Los Angeles Makery OM at USC, part of Visions & Voices Enter the Goddesses at the Makery The Art of Costume Couture 2023 OM at the Los Angeles Makery Enter the Goddess(es) at the Makery Plague Wear Gala (online event) 2022 OM 2022 at AVC Gallery, CA 2021 OM 2021 at Wingwalker Brewery, CA Blank Canvas 8 at Wingwalker 2020 OM 2020 online 2019 OM 2019 at Dora Stern Gallery, NJ 2018 OM 2018 at Thymele Arts, Hollywood, CA 2017 OM 2017 online 2015 OM 2015 at California State Northridge’s West Gallery, Northridge, CA 2013 Opulent Mobility at Bell Arts Factory, Ventura, CA GROUP EXHIBITS: 2025 20th Cent. Women's Club, Eagle Rock, CA The Makery, CA 2024 Ave. 50 Gallery, CA Escondido Arts, Glendale, CA Left of Center Gallery, Las Vegas, NV 20th Cent. Women's Club, Eagle Rock, CA The Makery, CA 2023 The Makery, CA Art Share LA, CA Destroy the Gap, OH Ladies' Room LA, online Ikouii Creative, online 2022 The Makery, CA Ikouii Creative, online Santa Clarita Arts, CA Create Magazine 2021 O'Hanlon Center for the Arts, CA Pomona Valley Arts Association, CA Ikouii Creative, online Brea Gallery, Brea, CA 2020 Brea Gallery, Brea, CA Las Lagunas Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA Washington Reid Gallery, CA 2019 ACE/121 Gallery, Glendale, CA No Future Cafe, CA 2018 Arroyo Arts Collective at ACE/121 Gallery Brea Gallery, Brea, CA 2015 Westbeth Center for the Arts, NY Schkapf Theater and Incubation Center, Hollywood, CA 2014 11:11- A Creative Collective, West Hills, CA 2013 Green Public Art, San Diego, CA. 2011, 2013 Summerset Festival of the Arts, Baraboo, WI. 2012 Encore Arts 4, Sauk County Arts, Baraboo Gallery Expo, Long Beach, CA. World of Wearable Art, Wellington, NZ 2011 EcoLogicalART Gallery, LA, CA. Rico Adair Gallery, North Hollywood, CA. Charles River Museum of Industry, MA. |
Teaching and Lectures
INSTRUCTOR:
2024-25 Underdog Bookstore Arts in California Parks 2022-23 Remainders Pasadena 2018-20 GCC Extension, Glendale, CA 2019 ACE/121, Glendale, CA 2013 City of Pasadena, Pasadena, CA 2012 Machine Project, Los Angeles, CA Majestical Roof, Pasadena, CA 2008 UL Lafayette, Lafayette, LA 2007 Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, Los Angeles, CA GUEST SPEAKER/ARTIST: 2023-4 USC (4 talks, 1 workshop) 2017 Disability as Spectacle conference UCLA, Los Angeles, CA DisArt Symposium, Grand Rapids, MI 2015 Perspectives on Disability Studies at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 2011-2014 Summerset Festival of the Arts, Baraboo, WI. 2012 The Event Formerly Known as Nerd Nite, LA, CA. Toi Whaakari Drama School, Wellington, NZ. 2010 Los Angeles Visionaries, Clifton’s Cafeteria, LA, CA. |
Costume Design
COLLABORATIONS AND DESIGNS:
2022 Intersections by Abilities Dance Boston, Boston, MA 2021 Adaptive version of The Firebird Ballet by Abilities Dance Boston, Boston, MA 2020 Celebrity Series of Boston debut of Abilities Dance Boston, Boston, MA 2019 An Evening at the Peabody Essex Museum for Abilities Dance Boston, Waltham, MA. 2019 Audacity for Abilities Dance Boston 2019 Chroma for Abilities Dance Boston 2011 Edges and Curves- Nothing In Between with the Haggus Society, the Glass Studio, LA, CA. 2010 Presque Prêt a Porter for the Hollywood Fringe Festival, LA, CA. 2009 Draper for Alternate Endings, Nova Jiang’s public art project for The Public Design Festival, Milan, Italy. FILM COSTUME DESIGN: 2010 Purgatory, Inc. 2008 House of Bones 2006 Marry Me 2005 The Call of Cthulhu SELECTED COSTUME DESIGN: THEATER & DANCE 2011 The Crucible 2010 Fearful Symmetries 2010 11, September 2009 Tent Meeting The Hostage 2008 State of LA Danse Masters on the Movies 2007 Loyal Women B4 I Wake Twelfth Night Power Henry IV, Part I Full CV available on request |
Opulent Mobility by A. Laura Brody is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License