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Richly patterned and colored, Lise Lemeland’s paintings offer the viewer a visual weaving together of subject matter that echoes textiles and rugs, especially Indian carpets. They also broach perceptual considerations, manipulating various design elements to probe the line that separates decorative or “low art” from that which would be deemed “high art” by the viewer.
For inspiration, Lemeland looks to a wide variety of Western and Non-Western cultural sources including children’s books, Indian carpets and manuscript miniature paintings, and South American rugs and textiles. She also draws inspiration from her children.
When beginning a work, Lemeland relies on intuition. “I don’t map everything out,” she explains. “Instead, I use a general concept or theme, for example lace or an Islamic pattern, as a starting point. I always lay down the background pattern first, then once that’s done, I start to think about what pattern might best fit over it, for example an oval or a diamond.” Although Lemeland takes measurements when creating a work, she purposefully shies away from creating precise, perfect images in favor of works that are imperfect and maintain their handmade quality. And indeed, everything is painted by hand; though an element may be repeated many times in a work, nothing is stamped.
“[I seek] to recontextualize images that are never contemplated in the realm of “high art” into a painting which, by virtue of its support and medium, will be categorized as part of that realm,” explains Lemeland. She also encourages interaction with her works through the use of purposefully utilitarian titles like “Borders” or “Color Studies.” “I don’t want to force a subject or interpretation on a work by titling the piece,” she explains. I want my works to ‘be what they are’ so that people can apply their own meaning.”
A graduate of St. Paul’s School in Concord, Lemeland went on to earn a B.A. in English and French Literatures from Stanford University, a B.F.A. in painting from the San Francisco Art Institute in San Francisco, California and an M.F.A. in painting from Hunter College in New York, New York. She has shown her work in solo and group exhibitions nationally, including at Anderson-Soule Art Consulting, Concord, New Hampshire; Bucheon Gallery, San Francisco, Calif.; Marton Gallery, Redmond, Wash.; and Elizabeth Norton Gallery, Palo Alto, Calif. She has been granted numerous awards and artist residencies by Carter Hill Orchard, Vermont Studio Center, and Anderson Ranch Arts Center, among other institutions. Lemeland is currently an Artist-in-Residence at Boston University’s School of Visual Arts.
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