A Moment with Tahnee Lonsdale
With a new solo show opening in London soon, Los Angeles-based artist Tahnee Lonsdale’s work has landed her dozens of exhibits in cities from New York to Hong Kong, and critical acclaims in publications such as The Telegraph and The New York Times over just the last few years. Her paintings effortlessly flow around neo-expressionistic ideas, and her work can be seen as an ethereal form of escapism. It’s vibrant, unpredictable composition explores the paradox between vulnerability and empowerment.
Tell us a little about you! Where are you from? How did you get your start?
“I grew up in the south of England with my mum, dad and three sisters. It was a little bit of a cultural desert. I think the extent of my exposure to the art scene was the occasional pantomime at Christmas! I came to art pretty late on. In the midst of teenage angst, I just felt safe and at peace painting. It was like a gentle hug. I still feel it now. There is such an ease to it. Like meditation, there is something spiritual about the act of painting. I did go to art school but it was a slightly jittery start. I left after a few months, it felt too structured. But then returned a year later, more solid in my intentions. Since then it has been a slow and steady journey. I feel like I’ve had my head down, knowing where I need to go and not stopping for breath.”
What are some of the things that influenced you to discover your style?
“My style changes very fast and frequently. But the themes stay the same. When I was going through a very sad time, I would look at dumped furniture on the sidewalk and see myself in it. The sofas looked so morose, it was perfect, haha! My current paintings also came from a particularly challenging time in my life, you can see it in the posture of the figures, they look like they're carrying the world on their shoulders. I’m very open to change, I feel like my style is constantly evolving. Things might happen by mistake and then I adopt them into my process. I am not rigid, I feel there is so much room for development.”
Where do you usually go to seek inspiration for future work?
“I draw a lot, mainly in sketchbooks. This is my first point of reference when planning a painting. The inspiration for my sketches comes from within. The figures I sketch are about my relationships, with others and myself. Often objects will appear in the sketches that directly relate to what’s going on in my life.”
How do you typically approach creating a new piece?
“I’m an intuitive painter with a plan who then intuitively changes the plan. My sketches are emotionally intuitive and I then use these to plan the paintings. Once the sketch is on the canvas it has a life of its own. I find a color palette I like and run with it for a while. Then I will suddenly decide i am done with it and move on to something completely different. Recently I went through a blue phase as my friend gifted me a tube of Phthalo, but i feel it’s on the way out!”
How is being an artist where you live? What is the creative culture scene like?
“Pre-covid I had a studio in a warehouse downtown with about 8 other artists, the community aspect was so great, and since i’m not from LA it was a really sweet way to be part of the creative culture scene. I’m lucky to know some incredible artists living and working in LA. There’s so much inspiring talent here, and it’s very accessible. Studio visits between artists are a natural occurrence, and friendships are built easily as a result. Currently, with covid, there is very little cultural scene, i am almost entirely isolated and working from home. But it’s very nice, the sun is always shining in LA and my garden is so inspiring.”
What are some of your goals for 2021? What’s next?
“To travel! I missed my Hong Kong show, which opened in Feb this year, that was a bummer. I have a solo in May with Cob Gallery in London, I definitely want to go to that. I also want to take a breath. It’s been busy and i want to hang with my kids and lie in the sun and read a book.”
