Projects 88: Lucy McKenzie presents newly acquired paintings and prints by the Brussels-based Scottish artist (b. Glasgow, 1977). For the display of these works, McKenzie collaborated with illustrator Bernie Reid (b. Stirling, Scotland, 1972) and fashion designer Beca Lipscombe (b. Edinburgh, 1973) to create a turn-of-the-century décor. In 2007 the three artists started the interior decoration company Atelier, whose purpose is to design public and private social spaces. McKenzie commissioned Atelier to create the present installation, which mixes styles of ornament from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The stenciled carpet on the floor derives from design motifs by Gothic Revival architect Augustus Pugin, while the mural paintings in the rear gallery take their inspiration from Art Nouveau architect Paul Hankar. While Lipscombe has a background in textile printing and Reid is a self-taught artist, McKenzie recently returned to school in order to master the technique of trompe l’oeil painting for this installation. In 2008 she completed a course of traditional study at the Van Der Kelen Institute for decorative painting in Brussels.
The exhibition is organized by Christophe Cherix, Curator of Prints and Illustrated Books.
