In her latest show with Chicago-based 33 Contemporary Gallery, figurative painter Ellen Starr Lyon blends still life and portraiture to evoke the quiet yet powerful moments in a woman’s everyday life. The show’s suggestive title—Flora and Fauna—hints at the elements Lyon uses to depict domestic scenes. Houseplants and a pet cat entwine with the human figures, their curves and shadows intermingling. The show includes self-portraits and portraits of others, and will be live exclusively online at 33 Contemporary’s Artsy site through May 31.
Hiroko’s Kimono with Five Candles at Dusk (Candlelit Series 2), oil on panel, 36 x 36"
According to 33 Contemporary curator Didi Menendez, Lyons’ new series marks a departure in subject matter. For many years Lyon painted her children. Now they are grown and attending college, and Lyon has refocused on her empty nest. “Ellen’s focus has changed to her surroundings,” Menendez says. “Her cat makes an appearance and is representative of several poetic metaphors and subliminal messages. If you look deeply into the cat’s eyes, you may find Ellen looking back at you.”
Lyon has long employed self-portraiture to explore women’s roles. Adding still life elements to these self-portraits allows her to play with symbolism.
Overwhelmed, oil on panel, 18 x 24"
“The flora in my work is both plant life and floral textiles,” Lyon says. “To me, plants symbolize life, growth and change.”
Lyon comes from a long line of green thumbs on both sides of her family. Her home is filled with plants, especially to those with glossy green or colorful abstract leaves rather than flowers. “They are living sculptures to me,” she says. “I have introduced them into my paintings to add color, texture, shape, complication and lushness.”
By combining plant imagery with figures, Lyon explores the multifaceted lived experience of women. Often what comes to the surface as she works is vulnerability. “It is important to me as an artist and in my relationships, to be vulnerable,” she says. “I want to champion the idea that vulnerability is strength.”
Camouflage, oil on panel, 12 x 12"
This idea is beautifully captured in Hiroko’s Kimono with Five Candles at Dusk (Candlelit Series 2). Half covered by her kimono, the naked model poses, surrounded by lush plants and candles. The expression on her face is one of self-assurance. This is a woman in her element, at home in and with herself, glowing with potential.
Lyon acknowledges that her new subjects may seem visually disparate, but she assures that all her subjects are evolving simultaneously with her change of direction.
“My roles are ever-changing, and I use self-portraiture to reflect that. I also often paint the women around me in order to explore my own beliefs and experiences reflected through their faces. I can make work about issues that are important to me using the mirror of other women.”
Candlelit Series 1, oil on panel, 16 x 12"
Lyon says she hopes viewers come away reflecting on their own experiences. For instance, the self-portrait Overwhelmed shows Lyon in a pose that may be familiar to others. As a self-proclaimed introvert, the world’s input can sometimes be too much. At the same time, she likes to fill every corner of her paintings. “I am a nester and this is also how I compose. I like to fill the space of the canvas with color, light, softness and shadow to make the perfect visual nest.”
Flora and Fauna runs through May 31 at www.artsy.net/partner/33-contemporary. —
33 Contemporary Gallery Zhou B Art Center, Fourth Floor 1029 W. 35th Street • Chicago, IL • (708) 837-4534 • www.33contemporary.com
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