Emma Lawrance

I am an artist from the North East of England currently based in Glasgow. For me, my art does not intend to communicate or carry finished thoughts, rather, it is a process for thought. My practice often begins with writing, a mix of poetry and experimental prose which helps me continue and develop my imagination. To illustrate my poetry I use crude combinations of media and disciplines to create ‘sculptural sketches’ both physical and digital. The resulting image appears after a process of arranging and rearranging until a composition is found and my chosen fragments, some made, some found, are fixed to the wall or screen. I am interested in the relationship between knowledge that is taught and experiences that trigger phenomenological realisations in our everyday for example I explore this in the kitchen and the washing machine. My compositions are inspired largely by the religious imagery of Stanley Spencer and the sculptural work of pop artist Marisol Escobar. My work also uses unconventional puppets, both figurative and non-figurative, in order to explore difficult and painful periods within my own life wherein I have found humour and pain work hand in hand. With the use of the seemingly nonsensical I hope to interrupt the romantic and intimidating nature with which art often explores pain and tragedy. I hope to protect selfhood and encourage space for nuance rather than making the work easy to consume.