Lost & Found Drawing

Aly Lloyd is a British contemporary painter whose work represents a unique blend between expressive figurative depictions and contrasting geometric abstractions. Her work is a self-expressive and reflective practice, and her subjects, whilst carrying an air of anonymity, typically characterise ethereal symbols of female strength and resilience alongside the juxtaposition of fragility and often melancholy. Central to her practice is the exploration of the relationship between free-flowing natural form and the fixed lines, angles and points of mathematical shape. She views these visual assets as inexplicably intertwined and fundamental structures of the natural vs man-made world, yet often existing just beyond our conscious perception. Her work allows us to consider these in forefront of our awareness and her compositions aim to strike a balance between these competing foregrounds and backgrounds - neither one visually overpowering us nor able to exist without the other. The resulting creations present us with a unique blend between the old and the new. Her imagery is often described as having seemingly digital qualities, with over-saturated or intensely contrasted colour palettes, yet created through a careful and methodological application of paint. Her technique also serves to both contrast and unite areas of intricate detail and emptiness through a mixture of blank colour or whitespace - carrying inferred feeling or meaning - combined with elements of realism connecting us to a more literal dialogue. The summation of these parts leaves us with a powerful and pure expression of emotion through the canvas, often causing viewers to pause and revisit the image multiple times, each time interpreting something new. Aly’s process involves observing, analysing, deconstructing and then reassembling visual imagery that captivates her. Diagnosed with ASD in her 30s, she describes herself as “seeing life in patterns”. She is constantly deconstructing things into simplicity, and this is something that she wants to invite the viewer to experience too. She experiments with innovative ways of applying paint in order to create her initial vision, although typically working with acrylic or watercolour as both suit her fast pace of working. Whilst this process of deconstruction has remained a constant, Aly’s work continues to evolve and shift.