Lisa McKendrick

Artist statement

I allow my paintings to “happen” like a Freudian slip or a slip of the tongue. In doing this I am able to tap into archetypal imagery, symbols and fragments of the psyche in a backdrop of landscapes that seem remote and out of this world. Here, I playfully master the technique of catching the painting while it isn’t looking.

Within my work there is a romanticisation of the road trip and the freedom which it symbolises. The car is used as a symbol for access to a psychological space which is open to interpretation. A space filled with objects and figures of the exotic, mythical or people doing ordinary things. The landscapes which dominate the paintings extend beyond the idyllic prettiness of the pastoral as they embrace the charm and grit of the real world on the brink of both enlightenment and decay. This psychological space is intermingled with debris which protrudes, floats or falls inside the canvas and baffles the narrative.

When trying to pin-point a specific place the work could be referencing a range of things from American novels, road trip films, Australian, New Zealand landscapes, the Mexican desert to the open roads of Europe. The landscapes are alive with the possibility of adventure and exploring new territories.

Using images found in films or family slides found in car boot sales I am able to work with photographic or cinematic imagery from the late 20th century. Often I find discarded slides with images of holidays and travel or just everyday life. I might source images from books on mythology, history or even comic books. When making a painting I like to juxtapose several realities into one canvas to create a new reality within layers of amputated narrative. Here the spectator can make up their own story and find meaning through their own experiencing of the imagery.

My style of painting could be connected to my own experience in relation to place or location. It reflects my experiences of travel in Mexico during childhood, of growing up in New Zealand and settling in the UK

Biography
Lisa McKendrick was born in New Zealand and is of Mexican decent. She graduated as a painter from Unitec, Auckland, and is based in London since 1998. Her studio is at Bow Arts Trust and she is a former member of ACAVA Arts. In 2007 Lisa was part of the Jerwood contemporary Painters Exhibition which toured England and Wales. Her work was included in the Jerwood catalogue which features an essay by JJ Charlesworth.