ABOUT
Liminal Gallery is delighted to present ‘Pining’ an online solo exhibition by Lindsey Jean McLean. Miniature women dance across their own canvases, their naked bodies exploring the lush surroundings promoting sensuality and the experience of touch. They dominate the space with a wilderness curiosity, sharing with us their delight as their bodies meld into the landscape around them; entwined in the pines, wading through a stream, surfacing between rocks.
‘Pining’ is the final exhibition from the series entitled 3 Works For 3 Weeks, an innovative take on the traditional solo exhibition promoting slow looking and true engagement with the artist, the artworks and the concepts behind them. Each exhibition in the series features 3 artworks alongside text and detail images to give an intimate insight. The exhibitions run for just 3 weeks and all invited artists are either national or international, but are currently working within the UK and Republic of Ireland, to show the breadth and diversity of art available across the countries.
​
Scroll down to view the artworks and their accompanying texts.
For all purchase enquires please get in touch.
DETAIL IMAGES OF 'PINE'
Dominated by vivid pink flesh, a naked woman’s torso is bared before us as she gazes out sternly. She doesn’t exude the usual confidence seen in McLeans works, her brow is slightly furrowed. A golden pine branch obscures her mouth, which could be smiling but could also be grimacing. Her arm folds back on itself uncomfortably which reminds of the painful nature of pines being this close to your sensitive skin. Her stance isn’t natural, the pose seems forced and it brings an awkwardness to this piece.
The figure is surrounded by pines; below, above and all around her. The pine sprigs are beautifully gestural and the radiance of golden branch dazzles against the deep green of the pine and the intense pinks. It occurs that a pine branch is quite an inadequate thing to hide behind. The figure is not camouflaged, not concealed, in fact despite her attempts a nipple peeps out. This indicates that either she is incredibly bad at modesty, or she doesn’t want to be covered in a playful interaction.
A fold weaves across her stomach which is soft and rounded. Like all of the women McLean paints, she is real with curves and a sense of embracing the person you are, rather than trying to fit into society’s patriarchal view of what a woman should be. All shapes and sizes are beautiful and things to be celebrated in McLean’s world of wonderful women.
Even in these times, unbelievably, female bodies are a political playground and just the act of painting them can be a political statement. Women are told what they can and can’t do with their bodies, even in these modern times. From memes defaming domestic abuse victims, to reproductive rights revoked; women’s bodies and existences are not their own. By painting real unabashed women, McLean stands firm against the societal norm and breaks down barriers of prejudice.
This painting feels particularly emotionally charged, the figure celebrates her own being yet she conceals her body behind the spiky pines by way of protection, a barrier between herself and naysayers.
DETAIL IMAGES OF 'BRANCH'
This miniature canvas shows a snowy scene in a forest with a dark gentle stream, licked with flashes of green as it reflects its lush surroundings. Standing centrally is a naked female figure who plants both feet in the stream, with one arm looped over a low hanging branch. A single eye gazes out at us showing that she is aware of our presence, playful in the way she peeks out beyond the branches like a game of hide and seek. This also references the artists interest in reveal and concealment; the seductive art of burlesque but captured in oil paint.
The figure is outlined in a thick brown line, enhancing her silhouette which is beautifully rounded, bumpy and bulging. She is not perturbed by judgement, but celebrating her natural form. There is clear definition in the upper thigh where a muscle tenses, given the snowy landscape the water must be equally as freezing. The pink-tinged snow on the left of the canvas almost mimics the hues of the figures flesh.
There is a lovely textural quality to this painting with the thick application of paint in areas giving a slight relief. There are also wonderful examples of loose mark making, such as the forearm which appears as one sweeping mark. There is a real sense of fluidity with delightful gestures made with the brush on this tiny canvas.
It is rare to find an artist who can work in both large and small format but McLean makes it look easy. It is incredibly impressive to have the same energy in a small miniature as a large canvas, where movement is less restrained. However McLean’s works in this exhibition are just as energetic as her large formats and retain that wonderful sense of curiosity and exploration.
DETAIL IMAGES OF 'VIOLET SNOW'
A naked woman stands amongst soft violet coloured snow and rock shrouded in a turquoise feather boa. Miniature in size, the oil painting features beautiful brush detail with soft delicate marks alongside sweepingly bold patches of colour. The tiny work packs a punch in terms of colour, technical skill and manipulation of oil paint.
The figure seemingly appears from a dark crevice, or she could be willingly sinking into it. Her arm reaches back casually, exposing her feminine form to us. Her pink rounded tummy is not airbrushed out, this is a real woman in her real form. She doesn’t ‘suck it in’ as she poses, instead she is relaxed and is both unaware and unbothered by our presence as she gazes at something outside of our vision. She takes in her surroundings, enjoying her naked solitude, feeling at one with nature.
Her classical stance is recognisable, steeped in art history, with something distinctly Titian in her pose. An art historian believed “Titian’s paintings of women celebrate women as the greatest subject of life, love and art”. This reference gives the painting a historical grounding but also a reassuring familiarity.
This painting reclaims the female gaze while subverting the male gaze. The figure is not there to be objectified but is there with a sense of curiosity and self-exploration. There is a delightful juxtaposition of the hard rock, the cold wet snow, the squishy pink flesh and the delicate feather boa. It embraces the sensuality of touch and gives us a brief glimpse on this intimate moment.
PRESS RELEASE
Liminal Gallery is delighted to present ‘Pining’ an online solo exhibition by Lindsey Jean McLean. Miniature women dance across their own canvases, their naked bodies exploring the lush surroundings promoting sensuality and the experience of touch. They dominate the space with a wilderness curiosity, sharing with us their delight as their bodies meld into the landscape around them; entwined in the pines, wading through a stream, surfacing between rocks.
These works carve out a new direction for McLean, who is currently undergoing an artist residency in Norway. Inspired by the incredible greenery which surrounds her, she has combined the beauty of these landscapes with her interest in reveal vs concealment. The figures ooze femininity whilst questioning the trope of the historical patriarchal gaze of Mother Nature figures.
‘Pining’ is the final exhibition from the series entitled 3 Works For 3 Weeks, an innovative take on the traditional solo exhibition promoting slow looking and true engagement with the artist, the artworks and the concepts behind them. Each exhibition in the series features 3 artworks alongside text and detail images to give an intimate insight. The exhibitions run for just 3 weeks and all invited artists are either national or international, but are currently working within the UK and Republic of Ireland, to show the breadth and diversity of art available across the countries.
Each Tuesday at 10am throughout the duration of the exhibition, Liminal Gallery will release a new artwork accompanied by text and detail images onto the dedicated Viewing Room found on www.liminal-gallery.com.