Liz West
Profile/CV
Liz West makes intensely coloured installation, video and photographic works from arrangements of found materials and consumer goods. In the work objects are densely arranged and enclosed within constructed spaces, such as cupboards and shelves or in containers such as shopping trolleys and cabinets to form compacted colour masses or gradations.
West is interested in the aesthetic of densely packed and richly coloured arrangements and displays found in shops, markets and museums. In her work, she creates sensory experiences in the form of richly saturated installations that immerse the viewer in a kaleidoscopic or optical environment.
Systems of ordering, classification and coding are applied in the development and generation of work. Boundaries are established, which determine both what is collected and where it is collected from.
In a recent series of photographs, manufactured colour found in the urban and domestic environment is grouped together to create colour charts. In these West is interested in the intense and concentrated colour found in synthetic materials and in artificial light.
West is concerned with the psychological influence of colour, its effect and sensory impact upon the viewer. In the installation Yellow Chamber a large collection of yellow objects were positioned to form an ambiguous landscape, produced using numerous mirrors which multiplied and extended the objects through reflection. The colour yellow induces feelings of optimism and warmth, however it is also associated with drug-use and warning-signs, it is overpowering when used in large quantities.
Liz West was born in Manchester in 1985. She received her BFA from the Glasgow School of Art.
Education
2007 BA (Hons) Fine Art: Sculpture & Environmental Art, Glasgow School Of Art, Glasgow
2004 Foundation Diploma in Fine Art, Leeds College Of Art & Design, Leeds
Solo exhibitions
2012 Title TBC, BLANKSPACE, Manchester
2011 Colour Chart, The Muse at 269, London
2010 Aqua Chroma, The Hive, Manchester
2010 Purple Trolley, Tesco Metro, Manchester
2010 La Habana, Sheffield Showcase, Pinstone Street, Sheffield, UK
2009 Trolleys, Sheffield Showcase, The Source, Sheffield, UK
2007 Painting, Vic Gallery, Glasgow, UK
Selected group exhibitions
2011 Copy/Paste, Shine Business Centre, Leeds
2011 Desire Lines, The Art Lounge, New Mills
2011 Manchester Art Crawl (part of 'Not Part Of' Festival), Kraak Gallery, Manchester
2011 Holmfirth ArtWeek, Holmfirth Civic Hall, Holmfirth
2011 Yorkshire Photography Network Exhibition, Pop Up Art Space, Bradford
2011 Hunted Projects, Bond No.9, Edinburgh
2011 Woolgather Art Prize, Dyson Chambers, Leeds
2011 Art Play 3, South Hill Park, Bracknell
2011 Reduction, Concourse Gallery, Broadcasting House, Leeds
2011 Colour, Beldam Gallery, Brunel University, Uxbridge
2010 Celeste Art Prize, The Invisible Dog, Brooklyn, New York
2010 Expectations, The Invisible Dog, Brooklyn, New York
2010 Open Art Exhibition, Batley Art Gallery, Batley
2010 CUBE Open, Centre for the Urban Built Environment, Manchester
2010 Salon 2010, South Square Gallery, Bradford
2010 Open All Hours, Piccadilly Place, Manchester
2010 The National Open Art Competition, The Minerva Gallery, Chichester
2010 Pedder Photography Exhibition, Bigger Picture Gallery, Crystal Palace, London
2010 The Ambience of Play, Greenroom, Manchester
2010 Deptford X, Core Gallery, London
2010 36EXP., EasaHQ Gallery, Manchester
2010 Art In The Gardens, Botanical Gardens, Sheffield
2010 The London Photography Award, Bedfordbury Gallery, London
2010 All is Not Lost?, Annex 21, Worcester
2010 Northern Futures Awards, The Civic, Barnsley
2010 Collagerie, Stew Gallery, Norwich
2010 Worcester Open 2010, Worcester Arts Workshop, Worcester
2010 April Fool!, Art In Unusual Spaces, Leeds Shopping Plaza, Leeds
2010 A Moving Exhibition, AVA Gallery, London
2009 Drift – The Third Annual Drawing Exhibition, Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow
2009 Mini Print 09, Artlink, Hull
2009 Conspicuous Consumption, Montgomery’s Café, Glasgow
2007 Glasgow School of Art Degree Show, Macintosh Building, Glasgow
2007 RSA Student Exhibition, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh
2006 Show Girls/Show Boys, Barnes Building, Glasgow
2005 Urgent, 54 Bell Street, Glasgow
Awards
2011 Third Prize Woolgather Art Prize
2010 Finalist Celeste International Art Prize: Photography
2010 Second place in the Art Interview 22nd International Online Artist Competition
2010 Winner Northern Futures 10 People’s Choice Award
2010 Shortlisted for The London Photography Award (part of London Fringe Festival)
Private collections
- Dusty Sprengnagal, NEON Line, Obere Donaustrasse 45a, A-1020 Vienna
- Leeds College Of Art & Design, Artists Books Collection
- Private Collector, Glasgow
Curatorial projects
2012 Temporary Exhibition, Tower Museum, Derry, Northern Ireland
2011 Temporary Exhibition, Leeds City Museum, Leeds
2010 Window, The Source, Sheffield
2008 Temporary Exhibition, Clifton Park Museum, Rotherham
2008 Temporary Exhibition, Cusworth Hall Museum & Park, Doncaster
Artist talks and teaching
2008 Artist’s Talk: Cusworth Hall Musuem & Park, Doncaster, 06 March
2007 Freelance Tutor: Hird Advertising, Sheffield
2006 Artist’s Talk: The Glasgow School Of Art, Glasgow
Press and publications
2011 Article, Yorkshire Evening Post, Suzanne McTaggart, January 24
2011 Article, The Metro, January 21
2011 Article, Yorkshire Evening Post, January 20
2011 Article, Huddersfield Daily Examiner, Joanne Douglas, January 13
2011 Article, Yorkshire Post, Andrew Robinson, January 11
2011 Article, Yorkshire Evening Post, Suzanne McTaggart, January 10
2011 Article, BBC News Online, January 10
2010 Magazine, Laminate 02 : Creative Output
2010 Catalogue, Celeste Art Prize, New York
2010 Magazine, LeedsCard, Issue 25, Published by Leeds City Council
2010 Magazine, BlankPages (Cover artist), Issue 27 October, Published by Blank Media Collective
2010 Catalogue (Cover artist), for exhibition 36EXP, Easa Gallery, Manchester
2010 Catalogue, for exhibition Expectations, Berlin/New York
2010 Review: BBC London News, August 26
2010 Photograph, The Chronicle, August 20
2010 Review, The Sheffield Star, August 16
2010 Article, The Chronicle, Mike Cotton, July 30
2010 Interview, BBC Radio Sheffield, Guest with Rony Robinson, July 28
2010 Catalogue, for exhibition A Moving Exhibition, AVA Gallery, London
2009 Catalogue, for exhibition Conspicuous Consumption, Montgomery’s Café, Glasgow
2009 BBC Scotland, Curb Your Collection, Pilot
2008 Review, Yorkshire Post, August 06
2008 Interview & Guest, BBC Radio Sheffield with Garath Evans, August 04
2008 Interview, BBC1 Look North, January 25
2008 Interview, ITV Calendar, January 09
2007 Review, The Herald, Jack Mottram, June 15
Websites
www.liz-west.co.uk
Website www.liz-west.com
