‘Out/Lines’ is the result of six months of intense painting for Auckland based artist Lucy Davidson. We are fortunate enough to have her based in our artist studios at 62 Ponsonby Road and have been able to observe her intuitive painting style and see her artworks in progress as they come to life. Lucy has spent many hours creating the work for ‘Out/Lines’ which are very personal to her, we look forward to showing it in our newly revamped gallery space.
Out/Lines Opening Night
Wednesday 7th August, 6pm-8pm
62 Ponsonby Road, Grey Lynn, Auckland
Full event details here >>
1. Tell us a bit about yourself, did you always want to be an artist?
I grew up near the Ngunguru estuary in Northland and went to school in Whangarei. I moved to Auckland when I was 17 to attend Elam Art School, after graduating in 2013 I worked in different creative fields, including film and design. My interest in art began early, I had amazing art teachers at high school and I just wanted to hang out with them all the time; they were as much my friends as my mentors. On one trip we came to Auckland to visit galleries including The Cut Collective Studio, which I’ll never forget. I now share a studio with Component, one of its founding members and that captures something very magic for me. There have always been creative projects in the background – commissioned artworks and experimentation. When I found myself painting in the garage for hours before work every day and then holed up again till the early hours at night, I made the decision to go freelance so art could become my focus.
2. What is the idea behind your show ‘Out/Lines’?
I’m focusing on place and belonging – not in terms of specific location, but more in terms of the emotions they generate. These works have amalgamated into dreamscapes, depicting abstracted natural environments.
3. Where and how did the idea behind the show come about?
‘Out/Lines’ emerged as part of a desire to connect with other creatives and be a part of a community; being an artist can be very insular. I moved into the artist’s studios at endemicworld in March and with that shift came a totally new perspective. I spent a lot of time alone last year and much of that time with the land. I’ve tried to capture the emotive language of landscapes; the motion of water, the lines of the land, and the whisper of the air.
4. What pushed you to have the show?
Exhibiting is a way to connect with people and endemicworld allows me to do that. Working on a series is a great way to explore new ideas and develop a craft. The challenge of a show provides an opportunity to push through boundaries and find my place as an artist.
5. How is this work different from your previous shows?
I’ve always been interested in the relationship between identity and landscape but I suppose these works are a bit more internal. They are imagined lands rather than site-specific, more atmospheric. I’ve pulled out some very graphic overlays as a nod to the path not traveled (graphic design). They explore personal encounters in an abstract way.
6. What can people coming to the show expect to see?
Texture! Lot’s of texture, layering, glazing and a variety of different techniques that I’ve been developing for over a decade. It’s a new colour palette for me, inspired by the skyline I get to observe on my new nightly commute. There is always something different in the sky and in ourselves if we’re open to it.
