Lesley Bunch
Overall my paintings are a visual language resisting verbal interpretation, untied to literal meaning, an ‘absented presence’. They sit silently in the globalised, unanchored, over-information that we increasingly drift in.
For my Shadow Sculpture series I borrow ‘casting objects’ that are invested with their lenders’ emotions, memories, and sense of identity. I interview each lender about their attachment to their object, and then create a shadow with it. Although the shadow’s composition is influenced by my interpretation of lenders’ stories, ultimately the shadow becomes a detached, autonomous entity, no longer anchored to, or a stand-in for, its casting object.
Reproduced in my paintings, each shadow becomes a manifestation of, or ‘remains‘ of, my exchange with the lender. I build my paintings in many fine, flat, transparent layers, ‘sculpting’ with colour. I am interested in the moment when the painting takes on a life of its own and seems to guide my hand; when the colour-sculpted presence takes on an expression of ‘suchness’, and becomes an intricately detailed, solid form.
Biography
Lesley Bunch studied at Goldsmiths’ College and the School of Oriental and African Studies. She has a BA in Fine Art & Art History and an MA in Archaeology (Edo Period Japanese art).
Bunch was awarded the Contemporary British Painting Prize in 2022. She has exhibited in the UK, US, Europe and Asia, with solo shows ‘Absence: Presence’ in Rome, ‘Shadow Language’ in Seoul, and ‘Cut Two Pieces in Three’ in London.
Group shows include ‘Ten Artists to Watch’ LACDA Los Angeles; ‘50th International Award Exhibition’ San Diego Art Institute; ‘Talking Things’ Blyth Gallery Imperial College; ‘Stillness in Movement’ Bermondsey Project Space; ‘Slow Painting’ Studio KIND; ‘Adrift’ Originalprojects; ‘X’ Contemporary British Painting, NCA Newcastle; ‘Silent Disco 23’ Greystone Industries; ‘Stand and See’ Wimbledon Space; ‘Prized’ OPO Artspace; ‘ArtWorks Open 22’ Barbican Arts Group Trust; ‘Multitude’ Fondazione Luciana Matalon Milan.
She is Joint Secretary of CBP and a member of The London Group.
