My name is Josephine Lyons and I am an artist.

In my early work, I use to explore themes about the subject matter of love and how visually a narrative around emotions might change our interpretation of a figure. I was particularly interested in expressing characters that represented in a moment a sense of loneliness. I wanted to give a voice to these characters and enable them to have a platform that was free from judgement. In my early work I made a lot of paintings that explored how experiences can be unique and different to visual representation of that experience.  I am interested in creating portraiture that is visually free from fixed judgements/associations and that are free to transform in different narratives.

I am interested in the consequences of revealing the processes that we use to build our senses of identity, and the many gaps in our vision when it comes to seeing the whole of others backgrounds, what artworks means to them or their visual memories.

I am currently working on exploring also in painting the effect of light pollution on how we see our visual culture today.

On the website are also older works,  various press releases and press release ‘Epistles from the heart of chaos’ and my works that explore surrounding figures with uncanny references in colours of the light. Here I also place whole letters written to different social contexts in new uncertain backgrounds.   Also on the website is extracts from an artwork of a book from 2008, ‘On the edge of somewhere else’ which explores the desire to develop in art a continuous narrative across images to create a moving portrait across images.  This was part of a series of books called Love in Palimpsests.  This book is a portrait of 1983-2008. My past projects and books include ‘On the brink of somewhere else’ 2008-9, ‘For love moves’, 2009-10 and  ‘Chapter, Image dead, Art lives’ 2011-12.  My recent exhibition projects have been Love in Palimpsests, Memories of Imagination, 2012, Ghosts, 2011, Unexpected Signs, Location of other Realms, 2010, I am in love with the world, 2009 and lithograph prints ‘Dancing with the Past’  2011-2.  I studied at Goldsmiths in 2002-2006. I have sold over 40 works and been featured in national and local press.  I very much enjoy working with different groups, schools, curators and artists, and I hope to develop my practice in the years to come.

Education 

2002-2006 BA Fine art and History of Art, Goldsmiths College, London
2002 Foundation, Wimbledon School of Art, London

Artist in Residence
Woodlands Primary School, London
Alysebury Primary School, Oxford

Group Shows
2012
Group Show, In Comes the Black Dog

2008
Group Show, Hugh Chapman, Lucy Parker, Ed Oliver, Dave Thompson

2007
Group Show,  Covent Garden Film Studios, with Richard Parry, Terence Bersmich, Opera and Art (curated by Josephine Lyons in connection with Second Movement Opera)

2005
Group Show, APT Gallery

Solo Exhibitions
2011
With Turner, Van Gogh and Oxford in Mind, Greens, Oxford
Ghosts, Menier Gallery, London Bridge

2010
I’m in love with the world, Jam Factory, Oxford

2009
Unexpected Signs and Location of other realms, an old Woolworths in Crouch End, London.

Upcoming
2012
Love in Palimpsests, Menier Gallery, London Bridge.

Shop
Lithograph Prints, in the Shop at Modern Art Oxford 2011

Citations
BBC Website – Oliver Watkins, 2006
The Times, National News Paper, 2007
Bodmin, Local Press, 2008
BBC news, 2009, June
Feature Local press in Highgate, 2009
Oxford Journal, 2010
London diary, 2010
Oxford City Guide, Museums and Exhibitions, 2010
Feature, Live Listings Mag, 2010, Feature R Magazine, 2010
Kat Orman BBC Radio, Oxford, 8 October 2012
Group Show In Comes the Black Dog, was mentioned in the Guardian, 2012
I’m in love with the world, You tube 2010
Love in Palimpsests, Memories of Imagination, You tube, 2012
Feature: Love in Palimpsest in Monacle ‘What’s on’ – Click on this link to see the article

Preview Artlyst – Josephine Lyons – Portraiture Archive and Memory new exhibiton 2012 – Article Link

Article about Josephine Lyons’s new work, Page 12/13 Zest Media London, ABS Wimbledon 2012 – See more article link

Link to Josephine Lyons Palimpsest video on Art Forum Website 2012 – See more click here for link to the article

What’s on, Culture 24, BBC Website 2013

Private: Love in Palimpsests – Featured in Arts and Collections –  click here

Feature, Oxford Mail, January 2014, 2013

Josephine lyons cites parts of books and works by Declan McGonagle, Jaques Derrida, and Tracey Emin as being important to her.