Author of the text: Natallia Yanchur
‘Sagger, Sinker, Wrinkler’ a solo exhibition at Cob Gallery, London by artist Kate Lyddon.
12 July – 10 August 2024
‘Sagger, Sinker, Wrinkler’, Exhibition view at Cob Gallery, London, 2024
This solo exhibition at Cob Gallery in London featuring the work of British artist Kate Lyddon. The show includes a diverse range of paintings, sculptures, and site-specific installations and coincides with the release of Lyddon’s new monograph, which includes an essay by curator Elaine ML Tam.
Lyddon is celebrated for her distinctive blend of surrealism and grotesque imagery, combined with an intuitive approach to art-making. Her work delves deeply into themes of selfhood, femininity, and the human condition, with a particular focus on the female body as a site of transformation. Through her art, Lyddon explores various stages of life—from childhood to womanhood—offering a raw and unfiltered examination of the female experience and its inherent dualities.
Kate Lyddon, ‘The Met Gala’, oil and acrylic on canvas, 45 x 40 cm, 2024
Central to Lyddon’s practice is her creative process, which draws from her daily life and experiences. The challenges and routines of motherhood, such as caring for her daughter, significantly influence her work. She employs a semi-automatic drawing technique, which she likens to “dreaming with your eyes open.” This method allows her to translate personal observations and emotional responses into visual forms. Her recent work reflects on the physical and emotional complexities of motherhood while celebrating the body’s nurturing capabilities.
In ‘Sagger, Sinker, Wrinkler, Lyddon’ addresses societal expectations of beauty and aging, inspired by anti-aging product advertisements she encountered online. The exhibition’s title refers to these products, which categorize facial aging into three undesirable types: sagging, sinking, and wrinkling. Lyddon’s pieces incorporate these concepts both in their visual forms and the materials used. Her compositions feature elements that sag, sink, and wrinkle, exploring the coexistence of beauty and ugliness, youth and age within a single canvas. This approach challenges conventional beauty standards and prompts viewers to reconsider their perceptions of aging.
Kate Lyddon, ‘Other Mothers’, oil on canvas on hessian jute, 160 x 130 cm, 2024
Ultimately, Lyddon’s art provides a profound commentary on the human condition, exploring the dualities of beauty and decay, pleasure and pain, joy and sorrow. Through her innovative approach and evocative imagery, she invites viewers to engage with deeper aspects of identity and existence, offering a thought-provoking reflection on contemporary life.
‘Sagger, Sinker, Wrinkler’, Exhibition view at Cob Gallery, London, 2024
Kate Lyddon, ‘Charlotte’, oil on hessian jute, 101 x 80 cm, 2024
Kate Lyddon, ‘A Chrome Crone’, oil, acrylic and collage on linen, 160 x 130, 2024
‘Sagger, Sinker, Wrinkler’, Exhibition view at Cob Gallery, London, 2024
