South Carolina’s Laura Dargan uses fresh color combinations and irregular shapes to create visual energy in her abstract paintings.
The artist: Born in Columbia, SC, Dargan grew up painting and drawing. But it wasn’t until after graduation from College of Charleston that she began to focus on art as a career.
Dargan opened an art supply shop, where she had workshop space for classes and continued to hone her skills, until she made the decision to close the shop and become a full-time artist.
The company/studio: Laura Dargan Original Fine Art. The artist works out of her home studio in Mount Pleasant, SC. A South Carolina native, she has been painting professionally since 2011.
The goods & materials: Generally, large, colorful, non-representational paintings, using mostly acrylic paint on canvas ($275 to $3,600 for a 48-inch by 60-inch painting).
Other favorites: Abstract figurative paintings on paper and canvas ($175 and up).
Inspiration: Color. It often informs the design of the painting.
Favorite artists: Matthew Bober, Joshua Flint, Nikoleta Sekulovic, Kerry Hays, Milton Avery, Sonia Delaunay, Adolpf Gottlieb, Gerhard Richter, Robert Lange, Megan Aline and Scot Rittenbaum.
Big break: In 2020, Dargan was the featured artist for the Spring Affordable Art Fair in New York City. Unfortunately, the event was canceled due to COVID. But being chosen out of thousands of artists to have her work be the “face” of the fair felt surreal, she said.
What’s next: In 2021, a group show at Robert Lange Studios and a duet show at Miller Gallery. Both galleries are in Charleston.
Where to buy: Miller Gallery (millergallerychs.com) and Spalding Nix Fine Art in Atlanta (spaldingnixfineart.com).
Where to see: lauradargan.com
Get social at:
- Facebook: Laura Dargan Art
- Instagram: Lauramdargan.studio
