Photography by Isabella Barrett.
Lisa-jane Van Dyk
Lisa-jane Van Dyk is an emerging artist, born in Alice springs, but now residing along the Macquarie river in the central west of New South Wales on Wiradjuri land. Van Dyk is heavily influenced by her Warlpiri, Indigenous Aboriginal heritage and the use of symbols and motifs. Van Dyk enjoys using pen, ink and pencil when illustrating her works, although painting has recently been the medium of choice for her larger works. Currently her practice involves a range of practices exploring one’s being, spirituality, the land on which we live and our relationships with ourselves and others. These concepts are interpreted through her paintings where she used layers of paint. Building each layer up, representing layers of earth and meaning, which is important in life and spirituality. Currently her liking for circles and dots are driving the building blocks of her work.
Tell us about your creative process, what drives your practice?
Currently, due to COVID I have been living back home. We live where the Macquarie and Bell river meet, the nature and pollution free air is what calms me and helps me create my work. I know my work would be very different (or even non existent) if I stayed living in Sydney. The calmness of where I am physically and mentally is what helps me create my work. When I’m not studying, my work seems to flow on from me in through the canvas. My work isn’t planned at all. I start with a wash on the background and then go from there, both in terms of the colour palette and composition of the work. Then if I don’t like what I’ve created I will go back over the canvas, I am always going back over work constantly until I am happy.
Repetition seems to be a recurring methodology in the evolution of your practice. What is the significance of repetitive processes and mark making in your work?
Years ago, back in high school I used to be really stressed and anxious. I used to create line after line in books and this constant motion shifted the thoughts in my mind and let me focus on something else when I had anxiety. From there this has been a constant unconscious happening in my work. These lines and repetition have evolved and still show themselves in my design work, paintings and drawings still after 10+ years!
Your practice has taken a notable shift since finishing your undergrad. How has relocating from a critical environment inspired your creative practice?
After my undergrad and honours in Sydney I moved back into the country to Wellington, NSW. I had a long time in my life where I fell out of love with art and tried different jobs, thinking I’d never do art again - I hated it! I had a bad case of the artist block for a while until I eventually picked up a paintbrush! Since then I’ve focused on painting and dot art. I am now creating for me! Not marks in an assessment or people’s opinions. The audience is now ‘me’ and I love it that way - no pressure and the art seems to flow well.
Are there any female printmakers | artists that influence you?
I am heavily influenced by the central desert aboriginal artists. Especially the ones I’m related to and the artists from my tribe, the Warlpiri tribe. I also love Helen Frankenthaler, Yayoi Kusama, Shirin Neshat, Mickalene Thomas and Joan Ross. I think these ladies have a beautiful style of work with an interesting subject matter too.
Finally, what exciting projects are you working on at the moment?
At the moment I’m creating paintings on circle canvases. I’m doing a series on these based on wind and a story of my grandfathers spirit. I am also creating some art to be framed, which I will be selling on Saatchi art which is exciting. Lots of little exciting things in between dealing with COVID and study!
