Bio
Lucy Woollett also known as Lady Lucy – makes paintings, drawings and moving image. Her work is strongly informed by her interest in the social function and value of her activities as an artist and more specifically as a painter. She seeks to find meaning and political application in the process of painting and draws on the art historical lineages of collaborative art practice and portraiture. She is currently undertaking a residency at the Royal Marsden Hospital. She is a co-founder of The Drawing Exchange events with Kayle Brandon. Recent projects and exhibitions include Herbert Butler Neighbourly Portraits, (2019-2021) Portraits For Services, Gifts and Favours, Museum of London (2017), Shrine to Dissent, Day of The Dead Festival, Bargehouse,London (2014), The Whitechapel Gallery Staff Portrait Studio (2011) and Volunteers, Festival of Britain Southbank Centre (2011). Lucy complete her practice-based PhD at Winchester School of Art, University of Southampton. Her research investigates how the process of portrait-making can function as a socially engaged practice, and ideas around art as gift, as means of post-capitalist exchange. Lucy is an Associate Lecture on BA Fine Art : Painting at Camberwell College of Arts.
Artist’s statement
As Lady Lucy a self – assigned artist name, a moniker that I have operated under for over 20 years, I make works and projects operating amongst the realms of expanded painting, portraiture, collage, drawing, photography, moving image and events. My work is strongly informed by an interest in the social function and value of activities, as an artist and more specifically as a painter. I seek to find meaning and political application in the work process, and there is a symbiotic relationship between private studio work and collaborative or participatory work in the public space.
Studio works are concerned with the editing of imagery sourced from the second-hand printed page or the imagination. Taking an economic approach to scale, my work is made in series, applying processes of painting, layering, abstraction, refiguring, and the juxtaposing of multiple pictorial references where ideas merge through collage. The photographic and art historical imagery is gathered from my archives of 20th century picture book materials of photographic, film, or art history. In other works, fanciful forms appear, which are dreamt from the imaginary or channel a recent happening from real life, the screen or radio. The characterful and colourful works often include second hand fabric items, and they are only finished when someone, something or someplace real or imagined appears.
Education
2016 – 2022 PhD Fine Art, Winchester School of Art, University of Southampton.
2008 MA Fine Art Chelsea College of Art and Design, London.
1996 BA Fine Art (hons) University of Plymouth, Exeter College of Art and Design.
1993 Foundation, Kent Institute of Art and Design, Maidstone.
Solo exhibitions and Projects
2024 Unwanted Gift Five Years, Archway London
2023 Critical Care Unit Royal Marsden Hospital
2019 / 2021 Herbert Butler Neighbourly Portraits, Herbert Butler Estate, London E9
2017 Portraits for Services, Gifts and Favours, City Now, City Future, Museum of London.
2011 Volunteers, Festival of Britain, South Bank Centre, London.
2011 Whitechapel Gallery Staff Portrait Studio, Whitechapel Gallery, London.
2008 Ladies, All the Ladies, Picture This Atelier Space, Bristol.
2007 Being Lady Lucy: Drawings and Sketchbooks 2004 -2006, Unit 2 Gallery, London.
2004 Movie Memories, Media Art Bath.
Selected group exhibitions, projects and Screenings
2023
Shot Pint Riot, Curated by Stephen Harwood, Studio 1.1, London
2021
Kings Square Drawing Exchange, Bristol
2020
Picture Palace, Transition Gallery
Lockdown Drawing Exchange – Zoom and Jitsi
2019
Radmin – Festival of Administration – Ashton Court Arts Palace and Cube Cinema
Intinerant Objects, Tate Exchange, London and Winchester Gallery,
2018
Jo Mama’s Second Alphabet Show, The A Side, B Side Gallery
2017
Festival of Radical Fun, Museum of London
2016
Daisies Don’t Do Tricks, Skate Witches, Moving Targets, Arnolfini Bristol.
Artist Commission Light Years Film Poster.
2015
Strange Attraction, A.P.T Gallery, Dartford London
Supernormal Festival, Braziers Park, Oxfordshire
2014
Shrine to Dissent: Drawing Exchange Day of The Dead Festival, Bargehouse, London.
National Poetry Day Commissioned by Forward Arts Foundation.
Night of The Big Tops, with Rod Hunt, The Dentist, London.
2013
Suppose An Eyes, international touring show and events: Galerie Futura Berlin, Transition Gallery, London, Chelsea College of Art and Design and Vane Gallery, Newcastle.
Supernormal Festival, Oxfordshire.
Palace Posters curated by Darren Banks.
First Come, First Served, Lion and Lamb, London.
2012
Idle Worship, Centre For Recent Drawing, curated by Paul Kindersley, London.
No Now! Space Station 65, London.
2011
Model City Publication, V & A London.
The Naming Ceremony, Whitechapel Gallery London
The Portrait Service – Drawing Exchange, Bblackboxx, Basel
Propeller Island, Victory Pub, London.
2010
Random Acts of Art, Spacex Gallery, Exeter
Prop, Whitechapel Gallery East End Academy Studio Prize winners show.
Art Blitz, Transition Gallery, London.
2009
Drawing Exchanges Festival, Spike Island, Bristol.
A Day in The Life publication, commissioned by Room 13, Hareclive School, Bristol.
Tattoo, commissioned by General Public Agency and Wellcome Collection London.
Dinner Islington Mill, Manchester curated by Lucy Drane and Laura Mansfield.
Chutney Preserves, Camberwell Green, London.
Smokey Smothers Heart of Coldness Winnipeg Poster Exchange, Ace Art, Winnipeg.
Propeller Island, 29 Thurloe Place, London.
2008
MA Show, Chelsea College of Art and Design, London.
Awopbopaloobop, Transition Gallery, London.
Diary Drawing, The Centre for Recent Drawing and Nottingham University.
The Marquis of Camberwell, Sun and Doves Pub, London curated by Space Station 65.
Carny Town, Space Station 65/ Portman Gallery, London.
The Stratford Grapevine Art onThe Underground London.
Arts Monday, The Arts Club, Mayfair, London.
London Short Film Festival, ICA London.
2007
Winner Women’s Film Award, Halloween Short Film Festival, ICA, London.
Drawing 2007, Drawing Room, London.
Transistor, South Bank Centre, London.
Omsk Book Launch, South London Gallery.
Botanical Drawing Exchange, Spike Island.
Bildweschel Screening, CCA, Glasgow.
Screening, Ladyfest Berlin.
Sparror Screenings, Artist Television Access Space, San Francisco, U.S.A.
2006
Drawing Links, Drawing Room, London, International 3, Manchester and Outpost, Norwich.
Destination Blatz, Phoenix Gallery, Brighton.
Printmaking Residency, Spike Island, Bristol.
The Great Art Quest, Arnolfini Bristol.
For Peel curated by Harry Pye, No More Grey Gallery, London.
Artist talks and work presented
2023 Discourse Forum at Royal Academy, organised by Vanessa Jackson RA and Tom Worsfold
2018
2013 Suppose A Salon/ Symposium, Chelsea College of Art and Design.
2011 In Conversation with Elle Carpenter, Southbank Centre London.
2010 Art School Alternatives, Liverpool John Moores University Liverpool Biennial.
2009 Artist talk End of The Line Attitudes in Drawing, Hayward Touring Bristol City Museum.
2008 Ladies, All The Ladies Panel discussion, chaired by Bridget Crone, Picture This, Bristol.
2008 Panel discussion with Paul Gravett, Diary Drawing,Centre for Recent Drawing London.
2007 Lady Lucy in conversation with Eddie Chambers, Unit 2 Gallery, London.
2006 Drawing Links Drawing Room in conversation with Lucy Byatt, Lynda Morris & artists.
2005 Independent Heroines on tour, Prologue New Feminism, Cornerhouse, Manchester.
Teaching, professional, and curatorial activities
2022 – present Associate Lecturer, BA Fine Art : Painting
2021 – 2022 Associate Lecturer BA Fine Art, University of Plymouth Stage 2 and Stage 3 tutor on practice and critical studies and module lead for placement and critical studies Stage 2
2019 Visiting Lecturer MA Fine Art, Winchester School of Art, practice tutorials
2019 Visiting Lecturer BA Fine Art, De Montford University, Leicester, artist talk and workshop
2017 Visiting Lecturer BA Fine Art, Winchester School of Art Critical studies seminars stage 1
2016 Visiting Lecturer MA BA Fine Art, Winchester School of Art, Visiting Artist Talk
2016 Visiting Lecturer BA Fine Art, University of Plymouth. Visiting Artist Talk and tutorials
2015 Visiting Lecturer BA Fine Art, University of The Creative Arts, Farnham. visiting artist talk
2009, 2011, 2014 Guest artist lectures for Fine Art, Winchester School of Art.
2013 Practice Workshops, BA Fine Art Chelsea College of Art and Design.
2011, 2009: Drawing Workshop with Wimbledon BA Students.
2010 Visiting Lecturer BA Fine Art,UWIC Cardiff artist talk and tutorials
2010 Artist Talk and Workshop BA, Drawing & Applied Arts UWE Bristol.
2009 Central St Martins Short Course – How To be an Independent Curator.
2009 Visiting lecturer, BA Fine Art, University of Plymouth.
2008 BA Fine Art tutoring mentor scheme Chelsea College of Art and Design.
2006 – present Drawing Exchange independent artist-led project.
2005, 2003, Curator Independent Heroines Film Festival.
2004 – 2006 Interpretation Group Spike Island, Bristol.
Volunteering
2018 – 2021 Secretary, Herbert Butler Estate Tenants and Residents Committee
2012 – 2014 Co producer of The Film that Buys the Cinema, Cube Cinema, Bristol
2001- 2006 Director, Cube Cinema, Bristol.
1999 – 2007 Volunteer, Cube Cinema, Bristol
Awards and funding
Artist Residency at The Royal Marsden NHS Trust funded by the Arts programme through the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity
Wick Award community grant for Herbert Butler Neighbourly Portraits
Vice Chancellor’s Scholarship, Winchester School of Art, University of Southampton (2016 – 2019).
Arts Council England – Grants for The Arts (2013, 2009, 2007, 2004).
Whitechapel Gallery- East End Academy Studio Prize (2010).
Shortlisted Red Mansion Art Prize (2009).
AHRC Postgraduate Award, Professional Preparation (2008).
Halloween Short Film Festival Women’s Short Film Award (2007).
Selected bibliography and publications
PhD Thesis: Lucy Woollett, The Value of Portraiture, Painting as a Social Practice 2022
Lady Lucy : Someone, Someone, some people, something by Antonio Ciutto 2019
Portraits connecting people, an interview with Lady Lucy, Museum of London 2017
Garageland Collaboration, Suppose An Eyes 2013.
Suppose An Eyes, exhibition and project publication 2013.
Gallery as Community: Art, Education, Politics, Whitechapel Gallery, 2012.
Volunteers Limited Edition Publication, Southbank Centre, 2011.
Feast – Journal of Food and Visual Culture 1 A Taste of Honey in Nougat Ice-cream, 2011.
Prop review, Mark Sheerin, Culture 24, 2010
Drawing Everybody to Drawing, Sarah Lightman, Art Rabbit Feature, April 2009.
Ladies, All The Ladies, DVD Essay by Lucy O Brien published by Picture This, 2008
The Importance Of Being Lady Lucy by Eddie Chambers and Unit 2 Exhibition catalogue.
There’s A Lady on The Phone for You by Lucy Byatt, Drawing Links, Drawing Room, 2006
The Arty Book, published by Transition Editions, 2004
Movie Memories published by Media Art, Bath 200
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