“I’m still very sure that painting is one of the most basic human capacities, like dancing and singing, that make sense, that stay with us, as something human”.
– Gerhard Richter
Based in the Midlands, Lorna’s ability to address real life experiences such as domestic routine, are incorporated into her large scale, abstract paintings.
Her solo and degree show collection is being shown under the title of Spirit, Reason and Appetite, inspired by the philosopher Plato and some of his ideas on society. Lorna reflects on her fear of homelessness in life’s social economical pursuit of happiness aka the rat race.
The abstracted paintings grow as the addition of each paint layer multiplies, creating textures that stimulate sight and touch. The purposeful use of the artist’s emotional response to the research she acquires is then transformed onto canvas through the application of paint and cold wax through physical hand and body movements. Size plays an
important role in Lorna’s work as she intentionally creates imposing, almost vulgar canvases that are hard to ignore. The layers of paint applied create circular voids where the colours become less saturated as you venture deeper into the void areas.
Choosing to use paint and canvas for the depiction of her imagery, she believes as Robert Rauschenberg quotes “I dream, I read, I imagine, I feel, I fear, I link, I paint.”
She does not plan her paintings, instead preferring to read, research, people watch and feel before picking up a paintbrush. Her assimilated thoughts which manifest into dreams fall out onto the canvas through emotionally charged textured strokes of acrylic, oil and wax. Including conscious and subconscious imagery, the abstraction process invites and allows the viewer to interpret the marks in any way they choose. This technique is both her mentor and method.
The deliberate, yet unplanned interference caused by Lorna’s emotional involvement can be felt in the pieces, often described as ‘impending’, ‘tense’ and ‘threatening’. Lorna quotes “I paint using my whole self: physically, mentally and emotionally.’
Fear is something that can’t be touched but can be felt. Fear can repel, or pull you in.
