ARTISTS TALKING
Visual art exhibitions and events with a platform for critical writing
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Lesley Halliwell, 20 Assorted Colour Inks (Burnt Sienna), 45x40cm, biro on paper. Photo: Peter Hope.
Lesley Halliwell has become known for her large scale Spirograph drawings. Using a child’s simple Spirograph kit she draws the same motif, over and over again. The process produces moments of chance, yet within all the works there is a planned sense of order which is allowed to continue until the system breaks down. Over the years the work has become less about the nostalgia for the Spirograph itself and more about the application of (the same) marks on paper. However, the drawings continue to be a celebration of process; a process which is, like a long distance walk, is not only labour intensive but also tedious, banal and uncomfortable. Ironically the toy, with its origin in play, fun and games, has been subverted into an instrument of mental and physical torment. In her forthcoming show at Chapman Gallery, Salford, Halliwell will be exhibiting new work that further explores repetition and systematic processes. Using a variety of common tools and materials including the Spirograph as well as felt-tip pens, graph paper and correction fluid, she sets up simple systems allowing the materials and process to take over. Often obsessive and industrious, the repetition gives rise...
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