Elizabeth Saskia Langley ~ 'Never Quite out of the Woods' [Director’s Cut]

Working predominantly in oils, Elizabeth “Lillibet” Langley applies a similar painterly approach to charcoal and graphite drawings and her practice has recently incorporated brush marked sculpture. Fixated on childhood and the inevitable struggles of growing up, she has treated her older paintings as part of a process of self-healing. Previously using personal imagery or objects as references, she now uses an ever-building collection of unusual found photos, cinematic, and literary sources. One of her favourite current inspirations is the term “Doom Cakes: A cinematic tradition in which any beautifully decorated cake serves as a harbinger of imminent catastrophe (often including the destruction of said cake)”.

Within her current working process, she experiments with image combinations or sequences to produce disjointed narratives that can span across multiple canvases. This is best seen in a ensemble of paintings which follow the trail of an unknown, pink-dressed girl through the trees. This series, Never Quite out of the Woods, was first displayed during Elizabeth's debut solo show with Daisy Laing Gallery. However, the story was unfinished and with the release of her “Director’s Cut” she gives us an extra scene, as well as a glimpse into where her work may be headed.

Many of her paintings take the form of miniatures - shrunken in size and designed to be held in the palm of your hand. This exhibition brings together a collection of these miniature and large-scale paintings to present the transitional time of youth with anxious undertones.