A painting by Laura Lancaster with a figure looking in a mirror and a gloved hand on the mirror

This painting is a part of a recent body of work in which Laura Lancaster focuses on the reinterpretation of classical subjects involving the female figure. Mostly executed during national lockdowns, these paintings reflect the artist’s yearning for space and freedom, her reaction to confinement and her re-evaluation of the relationship between individuals and their physical environments.  In this work, the artist continues her exploration of the tension between figuration and abstraction whilst focusing specifically on the portrayal of women. The large brushstrokes and quick manipulation of paint blur the distinctions between the female figures depicted and their context. In these works, women occupy the majority of a tightly cropped field of view; they are sometimes painted asleep, or looking in a mirror. This gives the viewer a sense that they are intruding; however, the removal of detailed visual information, and a push in the direction of abstraction, occludes the voyeurism conventionally associated with historical representation of the female figure to allow for a new perspective.

A crop of a painting by Laura Lancaster - a close crop painterly image of a sleeping woman in red hues.

Exhibition Feature Image

Installation shots of Laura Lancaster's solo show at Workplace London. Close up crop paintings of sleeping women and figures in landscapes, loosely painted.

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Laura Lancaster

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Laura Lancaster

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