Lisa Wright Drawings
Ruffs, lace , bonnets and fur ; ribbons, feather s and
cuffs: past
adornments
of
the
privileged
i n n o c e n t s . T h e n , a s n o w, t h e c h i l d i s e v e r e a g e r to appear more adult, to grow into this wor ld. A s a d u l t s , we c a n o n ly o b s e r ve a s l i fe ’s s u b t l e contaminating elements cast their shadows. The scaffolding of this reality has been in place for centuries and has manifested itself for ever y costume appropriate to its time. When these ador nments are removed what is left is a timeless state of grace. These
drawings
are
concerned
with
the
univer sal child and continue pictor ially to unr avel the wonder s and mysteries of childhood. The wor k exists in the slippages between time , paint and subject and speak of the liminal state of puber ty and the loss of innocence. These are gently unsettling images, that pinch the viewer and reconnect them with a sense of the past and h ow i t ’s s h a d ow s a r e c a s t o n t h e p r e s e n t .
1
At Her Mir ror (Study) pencil on paper . 38 x 28 cm
2
3
And Time Would Stop for Her (Study) pencil on paper . 38 x 28 cm
4
5
The Balbi Boy (Study pencil on paper . 38 x 28 cm
6
7
The Guilty’s Gaze on The Innocent (Study) pencil on paper . 30 x 28 cm
8
9
The Joy of a Boys Desires (Study) pencil on paper . 30 x 28 cm
10
11
His Rose Had Fallen (Study) pencil on paper . 38 x 28 cm
12
13
Secrets of Perfumed Blossoms (Study) pencil on paper . 38 x 28 cm
14
15
Watching The Rhinoceros (Study) pencil on paper . 38 x 28 cm
16
17
Car r ier of The Bloodline (Study) pencil on paper . 38 x 28 cm
18
19
BIOGRAPHY Lisa Wr ight is a contempor ar y figur ative ar tist living and wor king in Cor nwall. She tr ained in the classical tr adition at the Royal Academy Schools and is grounded in the daily discipline of dr awing and emotional engagement with her subject. Wr ight’s ambitious paintings have mined the intr iguing and distinctly autobiogr aphical theme of her own children’s childhood- at the swimming pool, on the beach etc- with an acute and unsentimental directness. In more recent year s her wor k has represented the ‘univer sal’ child and the physiological independence that begins to surface in the liminal state of puber ty. Following a two year residency with the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2008 she exhibited major wor ks at the Round House and the Royal Academy Cafe Galler y, London. Wr ight is is the winner of the 2013 Threadneedle Pr ize . In addition she won the National Open Ar t Competition in 2009 and the Hunting Ar t Pr ize 2003 – her wor k has been selected for exhibitions including Ar t Now Cor nwall at Tate St Ives (2007) and she has been an exhibitor at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition for the past 20 year s. Wr ight is an Associate lecturer in Fine Ar t at Univer sity College Falmouth and is represented by Millennium, Cor nwall.
CV 1965 1984-87 1990-93 1987
Bor n, Kent Maidstone College of Ar t (Fir st Class BA Hons) Studied at Royal Academy Schools, London (Post Gr aduate - Painting) Elected member of Newlyn Society of Ar tists
SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2013 2011 2010 2008 20
‘Dr awings’ Millennium ‘Walking Through Beautiful’ Millennium ‘Into the Light’, Beardsmore Galler y, London ‘The Histor ies’ Paintings produced dur ing two year residency with the Royal Shakespeare Company, The Round House and Beardsmore Galler y, London & The
2008 2007 2006 2005 2003 2001 1999 1996 1995 1994 1993
Royal Academy Café Galler y, London ‘Twilight Paintings’, Beardsmore Galler y, London ‘Night Paintings’, Lemon Street Galler y, Cor nwall ‘Beach Paintings’, Beardsmore Galler y, London ‘Pool Paintings’, Beardsmore Galler y, London Lemon Street Galler y, Tr uro, Cor nwall Beardsmore Galler y, London Beardsmore Galler y, London Thor nton/Bevan Ar ts, London Sadler s Wells Galler y, London Raw Galler y, London The Royal Over seas League , London ‘Reflection of Two’, Greenwich Theatre Ar t Galler y, London
SELECTED MIXED EXHIBITIONS 2013 2012 1991 – 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002
The Threadneedle Pr ize , London (1st pr ize winner) Limbo, The Coffin Store , Tr uro Mixed Winter, Millennium Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, London PRINT PZ, The Exchange , Cor nwall Millennium Mixed Winter 30th Anniver sar y exhbition, Beaux Ar t , Bath Reality Check, Newlyn Ar t Galler y, Cor nwall The Lynn Painter- Stainer s Pr ize , London National Open Ar t Competition, Pallant House , (1st Pr izewinner) The Threadneedle Ar t pr ize , London The Lynn Painter-Stainer s Pr ize , London (Pr izewinner) Cor nish Per spective , Royal West of England Academy, Br istol 10th Anniver say exhibition, Lemon Street Galler y The National Open Ar t Competition, Chichester / London (2nd Pr ize winner) Crossing Over, Beaux Ar t, Bath The Threadneedle Ar t Pr ize , London Ar t Now Cor nwall, TATE Galler y St. Ives The Sovereign European Ar t pr ize , London ‘To the Edge’, Beardsmore Galler y, London NSA Exhibition, Goldfish, Cor nwall ‘Cr itic’s Choice’, (Norber t Lynton), NSA, Newlyn Ar t Galler y, Cor nwall 25th Anniver sar y Hunting Ar t Pr izes, London (Pr ize winner) Invited ar tist, Hunting Ar t Pr izes, London Hunting Ar t Pr izes, Royal College of Ar t, London (Fir st pr ize winner) ‘Cr itic’s Choice’, (Joan Bakewell), Newlyn Ar t Galler y, Cor nwall ‘The Space Between’ two per son exhibition with Mar k Sur r idge) Mer r iscour t Galler y 21
2002 2001 2000
Hunting Ar t Pr ize , Royal College of Ar t, London ‘Ten’, Beardsmore Galler y, London ‘From the Hear t’, Newlyn Ar t Galler y, Cor nwall Lemon Street Galler y (two-per son exhibition with Mar y Mabutt), Cor nwall Hunting Ar t Pr izes, Royal College of Ar t, London (pr izewinner) Cheltenham Open Dr awing Exhibition, Cheltenham, Humber side , Switzer land Mer r iscour t Galler y, (four-per son exhibition), Oxfordshire
AWARDS AND PRIZES 2013 2009 2008 2005 2003 2000 1996 1994 1993 1992
Threadneedle Pr ize , Fir st pr ize winner The National Open Ar t Competition, Fir st pr ize The Lynn Painter- Stainer s Pr ize . Runner-up pr ize The National Open Ar t Competition, Second pr ize 25th Anniver sar y Most Popular Painting Pr ize at Hunting Ar t Pr izes Shor tlisted for the Sovereign European Ar t Pr ize Hunting Ar t Pr izes, Fir st pr ize Ar ts Council of England Award Hunting Ar t Pr izes, Regional Award One of four ar tists shor tlisted for The Villier s David Award (Fine Ar t) ‘Young Ar tist Award’, Mar ks & Spencer (NEAC) The Winsor & Newton Young Ar tist Award The Royal Over seas League Tr avel Scholar ship WH Patter son Fine Ar ts Award and The Geor ge Isted Pr ize (RA schools) The Royal Academy Premiums Painting Pr ize
COLLECTIONS Jerwood Collection Guiness UNILEVER BUPA Zeneca The Royal Shakespeare Company Pr ivate collections wor ldwide
22
Published by Millennium to coincide with the exhibition ‘Drawings’ by Lisa Wright All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publishers Publication produced by Impact Printing Services (www.impactprintingservices.co.uk)
MILLENNIUM S t r e e t-an-Pol S t . I v es C o r n wall 0 1 7 3 6 793121 m a i l @ m i l l e n n i u m g a l l e r y. c o . u k w w w. m i l l e n n i u m g a l l e r y. c o . u k