Approved: 13.01.2017

Laine Tomkinson

Artist, Curator

Approved: 13.01.2017

I explore the emotional attributes of experience and sensation though colour, depth and form. I’d describe my practice as lyrical abstraction. My prints begin as large screen-prints on Fabriano paper, often incorporating elements of monoprint or collage.  I frequently refer to the print process itself by collaging cut up elements, such as the registration acetates of the print.

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  • Location: Nottingham, East Midlands
 
 

Artist Statement

I explore the emotional attributes of experience and sensation though colour, depth and form. I’d describe my practice as lyrical abstraction. My prints begin as large screen-prints on Fabriano paper, often incorporating elements of monoprint or collage.  I frequently refer to the print process itself by collaging cut up elements, such as the registration acetates of the print.

I orchestrate my personal array of marks within the frame and energetically pushing out of the edges. Repeatedly the shapes are dancing, reacting, hitting on each other, accordingly they are given movement based titles: Roundabout, Tumble, All fall down and Hoky-Koky.

Increasingly, I make one-off prints and, other than an idea of essence of the piece, I don’t have a fully formed idea of the final state until it’s completed – it’s a process of looking, thinking and improvisation, though a difficult/playful dialogue with the work.

I concur with Patrick Heron “The picture is not the vehicle of the meaning, the picture is the meaning” in that, though I make prints that are inspired by specific preoccupations, in truth the heart of my work is as much about the process/ endeavor of making it.

OVERVIEW

Laine is a fine art painter and mixed media artist based in Nottingham. Her practice has developed over forty years, experimenting with all aspects of printmaking and painting. In recent times, she has shown in Part of the process - The Tarpey Gallery, Castle Donnington, April 2017, The Hepworth Print Fair, Wakefield, March 2017; Sea; Land- The Lotte Inch gallery, York, December 2016; and Printfest Selects at The Northern Print Biennale, Newcastle 2014. She is represented by several British independent commercial galleries.

She also curated and participated in Make Colour sing - Abstraction now, May 2018 NSA Gallery Nottingham showcasing colour and collage inspired artworks from thirteen British and International artists also How soon is now? Review of Contemporary Abstraction Nottingham, 2016, featuring a selection artworks from 12 leading contemporary British abstract artists.

A longstanding member of the Printmaking Council, known for showcasing contemporary British printmaking nationally and worldwide, Laine was the featured printmaker in the Printmakers Council’s magazine Imprint, which featured an interview and a selection of recent work.

She says of her work “I’m consistently experimenting to keep my work fresh.

My artwork is a response to everything I love, the natural world, music and the sensation of being human.

I approach each series of work without a definitive blueprint, orchestrating my personal array of shapes and marks,building up layers of screenprinted and painted marks to develop an image that is true to the initial inspiration."

Recently I’ve been merging different disciplines; a significant part of my work's development is the purposeful obscuring / revealing the history of the work. Sometimes this is achived by cutting up and overprinting an existing work,adding monoprint or partially painting over an already colour saturated print- constantly experimenting with the boundaries of processes. 

CV & Education

Education

University of Central Lancashire 2.1 Degree Fine art 1976-1979

Residencies, Affiliations

Member of the Printmaking Council 2011-to date

Artist in residence at Leicester Print Workshop September 2011 – May 2012

Solo exhibitions

2017 Remaking nature - Solo exhibition, The Wallner gallery, Nottingham Lakeside Arts, forthcoming

2015 Perfect day The Tarpey Gallery Castle Donington, East Midlands  

2014 Recent work Invited exhibitor, Wirksworth Arts festival Wirksworth, Derbyshire

2012 End of artist residency exhibition Leicester Print Workshop, Leicestershire

Curatorial projects

2016 How soon is now- Review of contemporary abstraction N.S.A  Gallery Nottingham- featured artists; Terry Greene, Claudia Bose, Lauri Hopkins, Laine Tomkinson, David Manley, Martin Heron, Rachel Pinks, Clay Smith 

Group exhibitions

2017 Recall -  Former alumni - joint exhibition - The University of Central Lancashire (forthcoming Oct -Nov)

2017 Revealed - Printmakers collective, The Kunstuis gallery, North Yorkshire

2016 Sea; Land- 4 Person exhibition The Lotte Inch gallery, York

2016 Hepworth Print fair, The Calder building, The Hepworth Wakefield

2016 Ashborne arts festival - Artist in residence Ashbourne, Derbyshire

2016 How soon is now- Review of contemporary abstraction - curated by myself

2016 Salon 7 -Ten contemporary artists curated by Rachel Pinks The Old lock up, Cromford, Derbyshire

2016 Off the press-Six contemporary printmakers, The Old Station gallery, Rowsley, Derbyshire

2014 Northern Print Bi-annuale Invited Exhibitor The biscuit factory, Newcastle on Tyne

2014 Printfest Annual print festival Ulverston, Cumbria

2013 Tarpey Gallery Castle Donington, East Midlands Midlands Open

2012 Midlands Open Tarpey Gallery, Castle Donnington

2012 Passion for Print; Embrace Arts, Leicester University, Leicestershire  

2012 London Print Studios Gallery Printmakers Council 8TH International Mini print Exhibition, touring Britain

 

Selected previous exhibitions

Nottingham Open Nottingham Museum and Art Gallery, Nottingham

Passion 2 Print Leicester Print Workshop East Midlands touring exhibition

Internacional Print exhibición, Cadaques, Cataluña, Spain

Expressive Figuration Solo Show, The Pankhurst Centre, Manchester

City Life- Public Life Group Show, The Cornerhouse, Manchester

New Art from Manchester Salford Art Gallery

 Public/ Private Collections

2012 Portfolio of prints acquired by Fullers Brewery P.L.C.

2011 Selection of Prints acquired by Andersons Accounting, Barcelona

2010 Prints acquired by The Royal Bank of Scotland, Manchester

 

Work acquired by private collectors residing in Britain, Switzerland, Spain and America