“Frictions”, solo exhibition by Lydia Gifford. Installation view at L21 Home, 2024.
“Frictions”, solo exhibition by Lydia Gifford. Installation view at L21 Home, 2024.
“Frictions”, solo exhibition by Lydia Gifford. Installation view at L21 Home, 2024.
“Frictions”, solo exhibition by Lydia Gifford. Installation view at L21 Home, 2024.
“Frictions”, solo exhibition by Lydia Gifford. Installation view at L21 Home, 2024.
“Frictions”, solo exhibition by Lydia Gifford. Installation view at L21 Home, 2024.
“Frictions”, solo exhibition by Lydia Gifford. Installation view at L21 Home, 2024.
“Frictions”, solo exhibition by Lydia Gifford. Installation view at L21 Home, 2024.
“Frictions”, solo exhibition by Lydia Gifford. Installation view at L21 Home, 2024.
“Frictions”, solo exhibition by Lydia Gifford. Installation view at L21 Home, 2024.
“Frictions”, solo exhibition by Lydia Gifford. Installation view at L21 Home, 2024.
Lydia Gifford
Untitled (bathing), 2024
Oil paint, oil pastel, acrylic, ink, fabric dye, cotton scrim, glue on board.
215 x 157 x 10 cm
Lydia Gifford
Untitled (sheltering), 2024
Oil paint, oil pastel, acrylic, ink, fabric dye, cotton scrim, glue on board.
50 x 42 x 7 cm
Lydia Gifford
Untitled (cold light), 2024
Oil paint, oil pastel, acrylic, ink, fabric dye, cotton scrim, glue on board.
54 x 39 x 7 cm
Lydia Gifford
Untitled (frictions), 2024
Oil paint, oil pastel, acrylic, ink, fabric dye, cotton scrim, glue on board.
127 x 157 x 7 cm
Lydia Gifford
Untitled (from here), 2023
Oil paint, oil pastel, acrylic, ink, fabric dye, cotton scrim, glue on board.
64 x 60 x 7 cm
Lydia Gifford
Untitled (reach me), 2023
Oil paint, oil pastel, acrylic, ink, fabric dye, cotton scrim, glue on board.
82 x 34 x 6 cm
Lydia Gifford
Untitled (saddening), 2024
Oil paint, oil pastel, acrylic, ink, fabric dye, cotton scrim, glue on board.
70 x 39 x 7 cm
Lydia Gifford
Untitled (earthing), 2023
Oil paint, oil pastel, acrylic, ink, fabric dye, cotton scrim, glue on board.
165 x 123 x 7 cm
Lydia Gifford
Untitled (having listened), 2023
Oil paint, oil pastel, acrylic, ink, fabric dye, cotton scrim, glue on board.
120 x 66 cm
Lydia Gifford, born in 1979 in UK, lives in Scotland and works between Ardnamurchan and London. Gifford’s practice is characterized by a unique mixture of painting and sculpture, diverging from traditional painting through her use of three-dimensional forms and unconventional materials.
In an early conversation with Lydia while preparing an exhibition and discussing what would be featured, I soon understood that her process is deeply intuitive, introducing an element of spontaneity in the construction of her pieces that evolve from responding to the process in the moment.
One of the most striking aspects of encountering Gifford’s work in person is the texture, which imparts a sculptural nuance. The materiality of her work plays a crucial role, as she layers materials to challenge the conventional formality of paint and support, embracing a post-formal approach.
An intriguing aspect of Lydia’s practice is the blending of materials, where paint becomes support, and colors merge into indistinguishable landscapes. This fusion demands close examination to appreciate the dimensions and depth fully. Her work maintains a balance between fluidity and hardness, a contrast that is the focus of the exhibition “Frictions.”
Gifford’s personal life and history are woven into her art through the use of linens and fabrics from her archive, imbuing her works with an intimate history connected to memory and emotion. The exploration of materiality is central to her practice; every intuitive choice and detail tells a story, creating works that exist autonomously yet invite comprehension.
In “Frictions,” we present a collection of works that, while closer to traditional painting, provide deeper insight into Gifford’s pictorial vocabulary and history. The experience of nature is evident in her work, likely influenced by her surroundings, which affect her color palette and structural vocabulary.
Zé Ortigão
EN / ES
Sink in sink down, solo exhibition by Lydia Gifford. Installation view at L21 Factory, 2022.
Sink in sink down, solo exhibition by Lydia Gifford. Installation view at L21 Factory, 2022.
Sink in sink down, solo exhibition by Lydia Gifford. Installation view at L21 Factory, 2022.
Sink in sink down, solo exhibition by Lydia Gifford. Installation view at L21 Factory, 2022.
Sink in sink down, solo exhibition by Lydia Gifford. Installation view at L21 Factory, 2022.
Sink in sink down, solo exhibition by Lydia Gifford. Installation view at L21 Factory, 2022.
Sink in sink down, solo exhibition by Lydia Gifford. Installation view at L21 Factory, 2022.
Sink in sink down, solo exhibition by Lydia Gifford. Installation view at L21 Factory, 2022.
Sink in sink down, solo exhibition by Lydia Gifford. Installation view at L21 Factory, 2022.
LYDIA GIFFORD
Lasting/sinew, 2022
Dyed cotton gauze, oil paint, clay, paint, ink, pigment, dirt, glue, steel, magnets
130 x 110 x 12 cm
LYDIA GIFFORD
Sap rising, 2022
Oil Paint, pigment (earth and synthetic), ink, acrylic paint, dye (natural and synthetic), dirt, clay cotton muslin, glue, wood
132 x 120 x 5 cm
LYDIA GIFFORD
Spent force, 2022
Oil Paint, pigment (earth and synthetic), ink, acrylic paint, dye (natural and synthetic), dirt clay cotton muslin, glue, wood
132 x 120 x 5 cm
LYDIA GIFFORD
Vocal hollow/blister, 2022
Oil Paint, pigment (earth and synthetic), ink, acrylic paint, dye (natural and synthetic), dirt, clay cotton muslin, glue, wood
130 x 118 x 5 cm
LYDIA GIFFORD
Sinew/lasting, 2022
Oil Paint, pigment(earth and synthetic), ink, acrylic paint, dye (natural and synthetic), dirt, clay, cotton muslin, glue, wood
126 x 118 x 5 cm
LYDIA GIFFORD
Detachment/pan, 2022
Oil Paint, pigment(earth and synthetic), ink, acrylic paint, dye (natural and synthetic), dirt, clay cotton muslin, glue, wood
126 x 118 x 5 cm
LYDIA GIFFORD
Gland, 2022
Oil paint, pigment, acrylic paint, canvas on wood
37 x 36 x 4 cm
LYDIA GIFFORD
Braves the heat, 2021
Cotton, wood, glue, nails, dye, paint, oil paint, pigment
68 x 42 x 10 cm
“Sink in, sink down to the farthest roots”[1]
– Ursula K Le Guin
Physical – nonphysical
Lydia Gifford impregnates her artworks with a lot more than paint, dye, glue, or gesso. They are indeed physical objects, but ones that also carry traces of a deeper search. The whole process is meaningful, from the choice of the cloths or fabrics to the different elements that integrate the works, and that have often been dug out by the artist herself. The nonphysical matters that are hidden among the creases are as relevant: the time spent creating the work, making and remaking it, the time it will take to be seen, touched or even being thought of, or the history of its pigments.
Stillness – movement
The still works on the wall or hanging from the ceiling exude a sense of calm, inviting the viewer to come closer and concentrate on their forms, colors, or textures. Before the stillness they were twisted, moved, squeezed until they found their final shapes. The movement is an intrinsic part of these pieces and also of Gifford’s artistic practice. When creating, her body moves on the floor with an intensity similar to that of a dancer improvising a choreography. And the repeated actions in themselves become a form of art, a meditation in movement that allows to create. As Pina Bausch beautifully put it: “Repetition is not repetition. The same action makes you feel something completely different at the end”[2].
Sink – Float
In her search for the ingredients that will integrate her works, Gifford’s hands often sink into the ground. Her fingers dig, excavate, search for dirt or powder. In this process, it is not only what she finds that is significant but also the history that is contained in the layers of matter she touches. In the same way that memories arise in our minds, so do these elements emerge carrying all their past. These artworks are connected to the earth, but they also have a vaporous quality. You can sometimes see through the layers and with their imperfect shapes they seem to be moving, at times even floating.
Painting – sculpture
The richness of these artworks is also in the fact that they cannot be so easily defined. They are in a way both painting and sculpture, since touching and transforming the material is as important as the elements applied on it. Really, it is as much about the process as it is about the result. And in fact, both are inextricably intertwined. The three-dimensional pieces are meant to be a trigger for our senses, allowing us to absorb the atmosphere they create and continue our own search for meaning.
Text written after an exchange between Lydia Gifford and Florence Rodenstein.
[1] K Le Guin, Ursula. From the poem “Come to Dust”.
[2] Kisselgoff, Anna. “Pina Bausch Dance: Key is Emotion”. The New York Times. October 4th, 1985. https://www.nytimes.com/1985/10/04/arts/pina-bausch-dance-key-is-emotion.html
EN / ES
Lydia Gifford (b.1979 Cheltenham, UK) lives and works in London. She received her MFA from The Royal College of Art, London (2008) and has exhibited widely staging solo shows including “I Am Vertical” at the Centre International d’Art et du Paysage, Ile de Vassiviere, France; Galeria Alegria, Barcelona; Micky Schubert, Berlin; Laura Bartlett Gallery, London; BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead; Kunsthaus Baselland, Basel and David Roberts Art Foundation, London. Lydia Gifford mines the hazy divide between painting and sculpture. She uses paint to transform a wide array of textiles, from towels to carpet to corduroy, in the service of abstract minimalist works with surfaces that are often craggy, layered, and twisted.
Recent group exhibitions include “You”, Musee d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris; “Clearings: Lydia Gifford, Anna-Bella Papp and Clementine Keith Roach”, Blue Projects, Blue Mountain School, London; “Black Hole, Art and Materiality from Informal to Invisible”, GAMec Bergamo; “Clinamen”, Fold Gallery, London; Women’s Art Society II, Mostyn, Llandudno; “Real Painting”, Castlefield Gallery, Manchester; “Prairies”, 3rd Edition of Les Ateliers de Rennes: Biennial for Contemporary Art, Rennes and “Minimal Myth”, Museum Boijmans, Rotterdam.
Born in 1979 in the United Kingdom. Lives and works between London and Scotland.
Education
2006-2008
Royal College of Art, London, MA Fine Art: Painting
2005
Universität der Künste Berlin, Socrates Erasmus Scholarship
2004-2006
Chelsea School of Art and Design, London, BA (Hons) Fine Art: Painting
Solo Exhibitions
2024
Frictions, L21 Gallery, Palma
Low Anchored Cloud, Alma Pearl, London
2023
Galerie Gilles Drouault, Paris
2022
Sink in Sink down, L21 Gallery, Barcelona
2021
Shape I know, Galeria Alegria, Barcelona
2019
Siegfried Contemporary, London
2018
Routines, Super Dakota Brussels
2016
Midsection, Micky Schubert, Berlin
I am vertical, Centre International d’Art et du Paysage, Ile de Vassiviere, France
2015
To. For. With, Laura Bartlett Gallery, London
2014
Drawn, BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead, UK
2013
Siding, Kunsthaus Baselland, Basel
2012
The Neighbour, Laura Bartlett Gallery, London
Midday, David Roberts Art Foundation, London
2011
Distances, Galerie Micky Schubert, Berlin
Its Hurtling Gold, Laura Bartlett Gallery, London
Lydia Gifford, Statements, Art Basel 42, Basel with Laura Bartlett Gallery, London
2010
Brackets, Marcelle Alix, Paris, November
Lydia Gifford, Laura Bartlett Gallery, London
Group Exhibitions (selected)
2022
“MAN’S TRACES IN NATURE”, Anders Dickson, Clemence De La Tour Du Pin, Cyprien GaillardY, Jef Geys, Lydia Gifford, Piotr Janas, Patricia L. Boyd, James Lewis, Maria Loboda, Win Mccarthy, Mikołaj Moskal, Daniel RothANIEL ROTH, He Xianguy, Galeria Wschód, Warsaw.
STUFFED, Lydia Gifford, Cullinan Richards, 7 Vyner Street, London.
Looking Through The Window Wearing Only Socks,Curated by Francesco Giaveri L21 Gallery, Mallorca.
2021
Clinamen: Marte Johnslien, Lydia Gifford, Gillian Lowndes, Fold Gallery, London
Heels and Faces,Tørreloft, AGA Works, Copenhagen.
2019
You, (Collection of the Lafayette Anticipation Foundation, Paris), Musee d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Paris
Clearings: Lydia Gifford, Anna-Bella Papp and Clementine Keith Roach, curated by
Laura Bartlett for Blue Mountain School, London
2018
Searching for Myself Through Remote Skins, curated by Bianca Baroni, Galeria Renata Fabbri, Milan
2017
Lydia Gifford and John Divola, Laura Bartlett Gallery, Art Basel
2016
Valerie Beston Artists’ Trust, Marlborough Fine Art, London
Masha, Super Dakota, Brussels
2015
Drawn by its Own Memory, Laura Bartlett Gallery, London
Women’s Art Society II, curated by Adam Carr, MOSTYN, Llandudno
Real Painting, Castlefield Gallery, Manchester
Adventures in Bronze, Clay and Stone, curated by Adam Carr, Arezzo City Arts Festival
2014
Perfume, Jan Kaps, Cologne Autograft, Laurel Gitlen, New York
2013
Can’t Hear My Eyes, curated by Niekolaas Johannes Lekkerkerk, NoguerasBlanchard, Madrid White, Simon Dickinson, New York
2012
Prairies, 3rd Edition of Les Ateliers de Rennes: Biennial for Contemporary Art, Rennes
Minimal Myth, Museum Boijmans, Rotterdam
Jonathan Binet, Lydia Gifford and David Ostrowski, BolteLang, Zurich, Switzerland
2011
Young London, V22, London
Tableaux, Magasin, Centre National d’Art Contemporain, Grenoble, France
2010
Lydia Gifford, Manuela Leinhoß, Laura Riboli, Laura Bartlett Gallery, London
Session_9_Object, Am Nuden Da, London
2009
Moon Star Love, Marcelle Alix, Paris
Taj Mahal Travellers, Gallery Nordenhake, Stockholm, Sweden
2008
About, Auto Italia South East, London
Between Shadows, Cordy House, London
Pentimenti, Permanent Gallery, Brighton
Works in Public Collections
Margulies Foundation, Florida
Jumex Foundation, Mexico City
FRAC Auvergne, France
Kadist Foundation, Paris
Kunsthaus Zurich, Zurich
Museum Boijmans von Beuningen, Rotterdam
Galeries Lafayette, Paris
Lepsien Art Foundation, Dusseldorf
LVMH, Paris
Awards and Scholarships
2008
Valerie Beston Young Artists’ Prize, London
2005
Socrates Erasmus Scholarship, Universität der Künste Berlin
Publications
Ima-Abasi Okon: A Reader published by PSS, PressforPractice, Reshaping the collection Tate Britain. 2021
You, Collections Lafayette Anticipations published by paris Musees. 2019
Lydia Gifford, Words by Raimundas Malasauskas. Published by Laura Bartlett Gallery, 2017
Press
Interview: Lydia Gifford, Issue 6, Emergent Magazine. 2020.