Lauren Voiers finds Peace & Harmony through John Lennon and the Beatles

The 19-year-old art prodigy unveils her latest installment in Liverpool on the anniversary of Lennon's birthday

By Lily Moayeri
Published: October 8th, 2010 | 7:00am

When first encountering 19-year-old Lauren Voiers, one would almost be forgiven for mistaking the artist for an artist’s model. The Cleveland–based, almost-six-foot blond bombshell, however, is a confirmed art prodigy. Voiers has been entering art competitions since she was a tween. It was from a thumbnail of one of these entries posted on Flickr that art aficionado Ben Valenty of Imaginart—a specialist in discovering young talent—pulled Voiers out of relative obscurity. She was 14 at the time.

Voiers’ unique style belies her youth. With a one-of-a-kind abstract combination of surrealism, cubism, and expressionism approaches, Voiers works exclusively in oils. Vivid use of colors and textures brings a multitude of dimensions to Voiers’ paintings, and there are layers upon layers of complex imagery in each of her creations—a possible result of Voiers’ bipolar disorder.

“[Voiers] conveys wide ranges of emotion in her work, from the depths of despair to the heights of elation,” says Valenty. “With only six years under her belt, she works at the level of a master. It is a gift.”

It is Voiers’ singular technique that brought her the high profile commission of creating the second monument in the Global Peace Initiative. Instituted by Valenty, the Initiative’s goal is to erect seven monuments—one on each continent. Set in Liverpool, England, Voiers is providing the European installment entitled Peace & Harmony. The significance of this location is numerous. It is the place where John Lennon’s spirit was born. It will be unveiled on the day of his birth, October 9. And it marks the start of a two-month long, citywide festival ending on the anniversary of Lennon’s death, December 8.

Heavily involved in all aspects of this monument are Julian Lennon and the Beatles Story—which takes visitors on a Beatles journey that only the city that birthed them could provide. Voiers herself was only introduced to the music and culture of John Lennon and the Beatles after receiving the commission. But the spiritual connection she feels with Lennon’s music and persona is both visceral and visual, as Peace & Harmony bears witness.

“The Peace Monument [Voiers] has created represents John Lennon in a few ways,” says Jerry Goldman, managing director of the Beatles Story. “The guitar and keyboard represent [Lennon’s] desire for peace and love through his music. [Lennon’s] message reached the whole world, represented by the globe. And most importantly, the white feather represents [Lennon’s] spirit to his son Julian.”

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For more information on the artist and her work, visit Lauren Voiers' official site and the Global Peace Initiative official site