Shot by Grace Carlon
LAUREN O'CONNOR / ARTIST
Lauren O’Connor is an emerging artist based in Sydney’s inner west. Her practice focuses largely on painting abstraction and landscape within a western and Australian context. She is interested in layers of meaning and history held in a place and regularly revisits spaces in order to observe how they change over time. Recently she held her first solo show at Arthouse Gallery and is now preparing for a second show with the same gallery.
Shot by Grace Carlon
Interview with Alex Gaudie
You just had your first solo exhibition at Arthouse Gallery - how was the experience of preparing so much work over such a long time?
Yes! It was a huge milestone for me. The show was called “Eating Wild Honey” and it was about finding gold in the remote places of this country. Fundamentally, I value wild places and exploring the histories, emotions and stories they embody. I started painting and conceptualising the show about 8 months prior and it was a kind of transitional time in my life. I was grappling with some feelings of being trapped and stagnant after the COVID lockdowns. I sorely missed the bush and immediately sought out some open, freeing spaces when the lockdowns ended. I headed to Gamilaroi country, the New England region in northern NSW. The work and time that it takes to put together a show is sometimes hard, but more often I see it as a pleasure and a privilege to have time in the studio to create. My painting practice is a joy.
Did it all come together how you intended, and would you do anything differently in light of what you know now?
With the benefit of a few months hindsight, I am really proud of it. I got some great feedback and engagement from my audience! The team at Arthouse Gallery were a really supportive group of people who helped me to realise this series. I would say now I can see more clearly what and where I was painting. Because my practice is so intuitive and I feel my way through every composition and colour combination – it can take months, even years to see the common thread in a body of work. Now, I can see more clearly that I was absolutely longing to be somewhere grand and alien – to witness something larger than myself. The works I love most are the Twin Falls works – they emerged late in the series and embody so many of my internal beliefs about femininity, overflow, water, sacredness and home.
Shot by Grace Carlon
It was such a pleasure to see your collection altogether, there felt like a deep sense of continuity throughout the works. You have been away in remote Australia for two and a half months working at an Aboriginal Art Centre, how was this experience?
Well, I got back very recently and can honestly say I feel like a different person after 10 weeks in the desert. It was a placement through my university (National Art School) at an art centre called Ernabella Arts in far northern South Australia. The community is part of the Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara, or APY lands, which are native title lands given back to their traditional owners in 1981. The experience was a real challenge, the isolation, the climate, the poverty, violence and disadvantage you see is extreme. But I found it really life affirming too, and I met so many fabulous creative people who taught me a lot about patience, resilience and moving through life with style.
Maybe in the future I’ll have more to say about the experience, it’s really complex. The legacy of colonialism was so prevalent out there, witnessing the abuse, neglect, poor health and wellbeing outcomes in these communities was quite shocking. These issues remain the responsibility of all Australians and I’m very privileged to have been able to go and help the community in a small way.
Do you think that experience, or the artists you spent a lot of time with, will influence your work in the future?
Of course! I bought quite a bit of art while I was there – including ceramics, punu (wooden sculpture) and paintings. Absolute treasures! But I would like to clarify that the way artists at Ernabella Arts work is really different to the way I work in my own painting practice. I am painting as a part of the western cannon. My paintings shift quickly, I approach them intuitively and using the natural movements of my body to create marks – which is quite different to the approach of many Indigenous artists. What I know will stay with me from the experience is the commitment they make to telling a visual story, their natural approach to composition and an implicit understanding that painting’s story is a sacred practice.
Shot by Grace Carlon
It’s clear you love working en plein air (outside) and draw a lot from the environment. Where’s your favourite place to go and work if you have the choice?
I have a spot in Kangaroo Valley at a place that I regularly visit to paint and draw. There are two wedge tailed eagles that live around this area, spotting them is a treat. Painting en plein air is a part of my process, usually in the early stages of a body of work, to get enough visual information down in studies, sketches, and in my head about a certain place.
What drew you to painting particularly? Have you/would you work in other mediums?
I’ve always played with paint and it’s my favourite medium. It’s so immediate, easy to use and richly coloured. I love the way it interacts with surfaces and enjoy the process of mixing colour. I also work with ceramics and textiles. I’m hoping my next show will incorporate hand built ceramics and crochet.
Aside from painting, what do you love to do?
My other interests include op shopping, studying astrology, bushwalking, discovering hidden spots to swim, watching films with my boyfriend, collecting interesting/weird items and drinking.
Do you have a favourite artist at the moment?
I had the pleasure of watching many Anangu artists work at Ernabella Arts recently and was blown away by the works of Freddy Ken, Rupert Jack and Carlene Thompson. Other favourites include Nyapanyapa Yunupingu, Emily Kame Kngwarreye, Phillip Guston, Tony Tuckson, Marissa Purcell and Giorgio Morandi.
What’s next? What are your plans for the near future?
I’m getting materials together to begin another body of work in the next few weeks, after three months away from the studio. Next year will hopefully bring a renewed sense of dedication to my practice. I’d like to travel more next year, but everyone bloody says that!
Shot by Grace Carlon
Top 3 spots in Sydney to get out and paint/draw?
1. Maroubra Coastal Walk/Headlands Walk
2. Leichardt canal & industrial area
3. The Spit to Manly walk
Who do you think is the most exciting young & emerging creative in Sydney?
Kansas Smeaton
Artist
@kansas2.0