Each week, 20 Questions features a Northwestern student artist in a Q&A format.
This week: Libertad, Weinberg senior Lauren Redding’s show, exhibited for a week from Sept. 19 to 26 at the prestigious Palette and Chisel Academy of Fine Art. The show took a year and a half to put together, according to Redding, and reflects her Cuban-American heritage from the art to the food at the opening reception. The art major, Spanish minor answered our questions about art and pig brains.
How would you describe the style of your art?
Cuban classical.
When did you start painting?
I’ve dabbled a bit for a while, but I really seriously started about a year ago.
What’s your favorite tool?
A maul stick—a long, sturdy dowel I use to keep my hand steady when I paint.
If someone offered you $50,000, would you quit?
No, are you kidding? But I’d still take the money to reinvest it when the market gets stronger.
Who’s the most famous person you’ve ever met?
No one, really—I did pass by Moby on the street in New York, though.
What’s your favorite word in the English language?
Cookie.
What’s the coolest place you’ve traveled to?
New York City.
Where do you like to go alone?
To my bed to take a nap.
Are you a lover or a fighter?
A fighter! You’ve gotta be aggressive to get ahead in the world.
What’s the weirdest thing you’ve eaten?
Pig brains.
What do you think of people born rich?
Most are pretty nice—but it’s hard to have a normal world view when the lifestyle is so distanced from reality.
What’s your worst addiction?
I was into cigarillos for a while … but Facebook by far.
What do you hate about Northwestern?
I wish it were in DOWNTOWN Chicago and not in a suburb.
What’s the weirdest thing about your body?
My feet. I don’t get how one of the most useful parts of my
body can look so awkward.
How do you feel about pick-up lines?
They provide much better entertainment than attention.
And what attention they provide sometimes isn’t too good.
What are you embarrassed about?
My ability to rush, especially when talking.
What Food Channel TV show would you be on?
Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.
Who’s your hero?
My grandmother, who came to the U.S., a widow from Cuba with three children to support.
What is art?
Art is a knowledge base and skill set, solidified during the Renaissance, and expressed through representational drawing, painting, and sculpture.
What was the last thing you did that you regret?
Not buy a bag of Sunchips with my lunch.