Lisa O'Brien
Artist's Statement
Lisa O'Brien (b.1967) is an artist based on the West Coast of Scotland. . In the 80's she studied Expressive Arts at Brighton Polytechnic which included music composition, performance and sculpture. During this time she developed an interest in working with classical instruments and the voice, and exploring the whole spectrum of sounds they offered such as clicking keys on wind instruments, using the body of string instruments percussively and scoring parts for abstract, unintelligible vocal sounds. After completing her degree she moved to in Milan, Italy where she studied Italian language. Much of her subsequent composition and performance work looked to push the boundaries of how instruments and language can be abstracted and juxtaposed to create an interpretation of an event or experience. Her work as a composer has been performed nationally at venues such as the British Music Information Centre, London, the National Geographic Building London and she won the Princes Trust Young Composers Award in 1992 with her piece Losing Gravity .
In 2004, after completing the first year of her MA Fine Art at Sheffield Hallam University, Lisa moved to Scotland. Over the past two years, she has been developing a fine art practice which stems from her interest in sound and spoken word, but which is looking to acknowledge that the time and space based elements of sound are co-dependent and this has resulted in a desire to work with the visual representation of space and place.
"Because sound is time based or durational it is tied to space and therefore place. It is the indivisible aspect of time and place and their contribution to a precise conciousness which intrigues me. By juxtaposing sound and image, not always using matching field recordings and real time, I want to draw attention to temporality, to question realities, to take time to experience fleeting moments and their universal qualities.
Sound and visual are of equal importance in my work, I want them to comment on each other and present shifting perspectives. And by interrupting the natural link between sound and image I want to try and raise the viewer's awareness that they are not the centre of the piece. Exposing the construction of some pieces is an attempt to suggest an alternative reality to the viewer. To show a truer reality in addition to the spectacle. I'm also interestd in siteing temporary pieces outside of the gallery as I want to work with an additional dimension to the work, that of the memory of the piece."
Curriculum Vitae
Born Sheffield 1967
Education
2007 - MFA with Distinction at Grays Schools Of Art, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen
2003 - Started MA Fine Art - Sheffield Hallam University - transferred 2005 as moved to Scotland
1994 - Postgraduate Cert Education - Expressive Arts, Manchester Met University
1989-1991 - International Centre for Study of Italian Language and Culture, Milan, Italy
1989 - Ba(Hons) Expressive Arts - sculpture, music composition, performance - Brighton Polytechnic
Exhibitions/performances
2007-8 Single Track Road Video. New Media Scotland. Touring to Oklahoma, Vancouver, Boston, Belgrade
September 2007 Nexus Whirly Gig, from a collaborative residency with Lindsay Brown at Limousine Bull, Aberdeen. An Tuireann
September 2007 MFA show Grays School of Art MFA preview
May 2006 - April 2007 Disturbance Sound installation. JIPCB Cube Gallery, 2007-8. Jarnac, France, August 2006. Ichinomiya, Japan, November 2006. Bøvlingbjerg, Denmark, February 2007.
September 2006 Open Frequency Axis - New Developments in Contemporary Art, and included in the Axis audio gallery
September 2006 Scottish Arts Council Artist of the Month
2006 Single Track Road Video. Limousine Bull, Aberdeen
2006 Roddy Rockets Truck Tornapress, Wester Ross
2004 Annat Performance/installation, Annat beach, Torridon, Wester Ross
2003 Domestic Hiss Performance/installation, Annat beach, Torridon, Wester Ross
2001 Losing Gravity Merlin Theatre, Sheffield. St Pauls Hall, University of Huddersfield. St Annes Church, Manchester.
2000 La La Na British Music Information Centre, London
1992 Losing Gravity Rotherham Arts Centre. National Geographic Building, London
1989 Bitter Cold Sallis Benny Theatre, Brighton, Brighton Pavillion Studio, Bright Awards
2006 Bitter Cold Sallis Benny Theatre, Brighton, Brighton Pavillion Studio, Bright Awards
Awards
2006 Nominated for Open Frequency, Axis Artists by Steven McKenzie, curator at An Tuireann, Isle of Skye.
2006 Artists Award. Hi-Arts- to make a short video.
2005 Arts Humanities Research Council Bursary - for postgraduate study.
1992 Princes Trust European Vision - young composers award.
1992 Pepinieres European Award for young composers - shortlisted/runner up.
Employment
Currently work part time as the Cultural Co-ordinator for Schools across Ross and Cromarty.
Associate Lecturer for Open University on the Living Arts Course.