Laura Menzies

Artist Statement

'My lyrical, abstract paintings are like visual poems, spoken through constructs of memories, emotions and indirect references to place. These influences are not overt but are located on the edge of consciousness, gradually seeping in as the work evolves. 

I paint intuitively in a visceral and fluid manner, each brush stroke directly informing the next. This process is highly sensitive. It develops organically over time by building up and scraping back layers of oil paint, cold wax and mixed media to create a palimpsest of lines, colours and textures that reveal traces of the work’s history. In places the play between these formal elements registers a tension between the familiar and the unknown, offering subtle suggestions and emphasising instability over certainty. 

My paintings are sensory and evocative, the end result of looking, thinking and feeling. They aim to reveal things that aren’t immediately visible and often can’t be put into words. They take time to disclose themselves fully and reward those that spend time with them. They ask the viewer to slow down and contemplate and to momentarily loose themselves in their visual and physical presence, providing breathing space from the world'.