Lauren Rose D'amato

Complete Machine


March 4 - April 2, 2023


opening reception: March 4, 7:00 - 10:00 pm

open hours: Friday - Sunday 11:00 am - 6:00 pm





House of Seiko is pleased to present Lauren Rose D’Amato’s first solo exhibition in San Francisco, Complete Machine.

D’Amato’s lexicon and inspiration derive from her generational relationship to letterforms, pinstriping, and custom car culture. A painting graduate from SFAI and a veteran of the sign painting world, D’Amato’s work illustrates the junction of those tangential worlds. The show is to feature new works in painting and sculpture.

In her own words, D’Amato describes the genesis for the show’s title and theme;

I decided to name the show “Complete Machine” in honor of a sign hanging in the Bayview shop where I’ve been working on many projects this past year. The full sign reads, “Complete Auto and Truck Machine Shop.” In the layout, “Complete” is stacked vertically above “Machine," and the two words aligned themselves in a way that stood out to me. The letters themselves had faded so kindly that I could see the whole tour the brush had taken to paint them all out. When I found something challenging, I would think of the phrase as an affirmation that I had the complete capability to accomplish what I needed to. While I painted, I desired to technically embody the idea of being a machine. Then the phrase grew to encompass the idea that the pinstriper is the one who, by definition, completes the machine. By adding those last little details, the real expression of style emerges. As I see it now, it is an element of the human hand that truly Completes the Machine.

Throughout this period, I’ve been reflecting on the ways I’d been taught to formally think about painting and the ways I’ve learned to support myself as a painter. My motivation in the studio right now is to find ways to embrace these contrasting experiences and allow the combination of techniques I’ve acquired to become solutions to my paintings.




We hope to see you there.