This series of single or ‘twinned’ double figures, partly continues an ongoing thread from a previous series exploring the psychological relationship between two closely related figures.
The time of day is purposely left unclear and this series plays a great deal with lightness and darkness. Some areas of the paintings are illuminated by strong light source - other areas are gloomy and recede into the darkness. It is an environment that is intended to be comforting and enclosing as well as slightly threatening. There are associations with magic, rituals and fairy tales.
The figures themselves are caught, suspended in a moment of potential performance, enacting a rite or channeling some kind of mysterious force. It is unclear what the narrative is and we are viewing a moment of performance that could be private or public, fake or real. The gender of the figures are blurred. This slippage between male and female is something that is explored in this body of work. This is in reference again, to theatre and performance - how the expression of the interior self can be projected externally including costume, make-up and wigs.
The forest becomes a setting, as a re-imagining of our historical, mysterious connection to nature and the rites, rituals and performances that play out in our attempt to understand and order our connection to the world. Lindsey Bull is a Liverpool Biennial Associate Artist and has been paired with Mónica Espinel (Independent Curator based in New York, USA). She received a grant from the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation in 2017 and has exhibited widely in the UK and abroad. bo.lee are pleased to be working with Lindsey at such an important point in her career.