Iconic: Lisa Thomson New Series
We’re very excited to announce the launch of Lisa Thomson’s new series, Iconic, which explores some of the greatest women to have graced the arts as well as Europe’s royal houses. To enquire about pricing and availability, please click below or email julian.usher@redeightgallery.com.
Introducing Lisa Thomson
Inspired by the human form and unique colour combinations, Lisa aims to merge these elements to form abstract compositions which evoke emotion. With a background in Fine Art, Lisa went on to study Woven Textile Design at the University of Brighton. Here she honed an adept commercial awareness whilst developing an innovative approach to design and use of texture.
A Texprint 2016 nominee, her versatile, colour-focused portfolio has been recognised for its distinctive style and creativity. Her interplay between line, texture and colour allows her to create a balance of realism combined with abstraction in her artwork. She applies colour depending on the characteristics of the subject.
“Iconic”: Lisa’s New Series
Lisa has always been inspired by female empowerment and her latest series is no different. She has been inspired by Iconic females who have shifted our culture in meaningful ways over the years. From pop culture, to the royal family, these are some of the women who have shaped the world and are a visionary in their own rights. They have shown resistance and fighting spirit through the challenges they have faced and inspired young girls to follow their dreams. As to what constitutes an ‘icon’, some say that a certain amount of time needs to have elapsed. Others say impact and influence is more important.
Her new portraits look at some of the most influential artists such as Japanese artist Yayoi Kasuma, also known as the ‘princess of Polka dots’, and Frida Kahlo, the infamous Mexican artist known for her intimate self-portraits.
“As a young female in the art world, I wanted to pay tribute to the great female artists who have left a lasting mark on our cultural landscape.” Other iconic figures such as Marilyn Monroe, Grace Jones and Amy Winehouse are all part of her latest series, each in their own, unique colour palette.
Explore Her Artworks
Frida Kahlo
A relentless force in the art world, Frida Kahlo is a global icon famed in Mexico and around the world for creating thought-provoking works grounded in magical realism. Her artworks are deeply entangled in her personal biography after a road accident, which led to a life of constant struggle both mentally and physically. She used painting as a form of expression and therapy, having been confined to a bed for most of her later life. Kahlo has become a standard-bearer for women’s inner strength, for a love of her own culture and for courage in the face of adversity. Bright blues and pinks were used in this portrait as a nod to Kahlo’s Mexican culture.
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn is quite simply the definition of a pop culture icon. A pin-up dream come true, Norma Jeane Baker evolved into Marilyn Monroe at the beginning of her career. She began as a wholesome girl-next-door gracing the cover of magazines, America’s sweetheart. But the foundation of Marilyn the icon, was her unique blend of childlike innocence and provocative feminine sexuality. This became the inspiration for the colour palette used in this portrait; a combination of pastels and earthy tones. Marilyn became a successful and glamourous Hollywood actress and one of history’s most iconic sex symbols. Her glamorous image inspires the arts to this day.
Princess Diana
Diana, Princess of Wales was a pioneer for women with profiles making a change in the world, as well as being one of the best-dressed women in history. For Diana, her clothes were secondary to her own presence and her work. Such a quality makes her a true icon not just in the fashion sense but overall. Although the Princess was renowned for her style and was closely associated with the fashion world, patronising and raising the profile of younger British designers, she was best known for her charitable work. In a poll conducted to mark International Women’s Day, the former wife of Prince Charles came out on top as both the most iconic as well as the most inspiring female of the 1980s.
Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth II is viewed by many as an anchor of stability in an increasingly uncertain time. A ruler whose sense of duty and moral standard are timeless. She is also considered a fashion icon that has stood the test of time. Resilient, classic and bold, the monarch has become a trendsetter in her own right and more recently known for her colourful suits. I chose one of my favourite colour combinations, purple and yellow, to give this portrait the opulence it deserves.
Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn will always be a timeless icon, an unquestioned symbol of grace and firmness that each of us would secretly like to match. Poised and charming in equal measure, Hepburn’s style and beauty continue to be as captivating now as they were at the height of her fame in the ‘50s and ‘60s. I chose a feminine, yet sophisticated palette to portray Hepburn’s effortless beauty.
Yayoi Kasuma
Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama is the fearless female artist and style icon, born in 1929 but a true and genuine inspiration to this day. Kasuma was a self-described “obsessional artist,” known for her extensive use of polka dots and for her infinity installations. She employed painting, sculpture, performance art, and installations in a variety of styles, including Pop art and Minimalism. Kasuma once said “A polka-dot has the form of the sun, which is a symbol of the energy of the whole world and our living life, and also the form of the moon, which is calm. Round, soft, colorful, senseless and unknowing. Polka-dots can’t stay alone; like the communicative life of people, two or three polka-dots become movement… Polka-dots are a way to infinity.”
Grace Jones
Grace Jones; the Jamaican-American legendary supermodel, disco queen, and prolific actress. Her seemingly endless list of talents and her unmistakable look cemented her place in pop culture. From her breakout days as a model in Paris in the early 70’s, her androgynous style subverted notions of race and gender. I used earthy reds and oranges, contrasting again the cool hues of blue to give this portrait the energy it merits.
Vivienne Westwood
Punk icon, activist, and extraordinary designer Vivienne Westwood celebrated her 80th birthday this year as is still as iconic as ever. She emerged on the fashion scene in the 1970’s and has since never stopped impressing with her ongoing activism and desire for change. Westwood’s portrait was coloured in greens and oranges, with soft lilac tones to soften.
Beyonce
My next icon is the one and only Queen Bey. Beyonce is effortlessly mesmerising and her hard work and determination shines through in all that she does. She makes it possible for her audience to understand her both as the hardest-working woman in the industry as well as someone who does not need to work because of her natural perfection. In a recent interview in Harpers Bazaar, she speaks about the pressures of having to grow up fast. “I felt as a young Black woman that I couldn’t mess up. I felt the pressure from the outside and their eyes watching for me to trip or fail,” she said. “… I wanted to break all of the stereotypes of the Black superstar, whether falling victim to drugs or alcohol or the absurd misconception that Black women were angry. I knew I was given this amazing opportunity and felt like I had one shot. I refused to mess it up, but I had to give up a lot.”
Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse was an exceptional talent whose wild and too brief career was cut short at the age of just twenty-seven. The singer lived life under the spotlight, plagued by paparazzi chases, pressures from the media and fame , and shadowed by her addictions. Despite all these troubles, it always came back to her utterly unmatched, powerfully nostalgic jazz voice. It is not only the music she left behind that marks her as an icon: the force of her personality and the power of her voice captivated the world and inspires artists to this day. Her trademark style lives on and was inspired by the 1950’s fashion, especially her penchant for big hair and little dresses. I chose to paint the soul singer in a variety of earthy mustards and burnt orange tones with dark accents.
