LONDON ART FAIR 2024

Olivia Strange's multifarious practice navigates the intersections of sculpture, painting, and installation, examining visual narratives which challenge patriarchal nuances. Characterised by a visceral aesthetic, Strange's work investigates the queer female experience, in both love and life. Her presentation at the London Art Fair showcases new wall-based sculptures, painting, and free-standing sculptures, which explore the liminal spaces between longing, loss, attachment, spirituality and pleasure. At the heart of Strange's practice lies an interest in desire, vulnerability, and empowerment. Concepts such as 'Limerence'—becoming so attached to a projected fantasy in favour of seeing the reality —are explored unflinchingly, revealing the gritty sides of passion, love, and rejection.

Witch-like talons, a recurring motif for Strange, poke, prod, and beckon, adorned with perfectly pointed manicures reminiscent of fictional characters from film and TV. These works pay homage to the womxn persecuted as witches, honouring those who defied societal norms and embraced their inherent wisdom, while challenging patriarchal ideals in the face of horror.

The juxtaposition of porcelain-like and pastel candy-coloured forms, with the high shine of a cold metal piercing engages a dialogue around queer sensuality. Dislocated and amorphous bodily forms, tentacles, and oysters intertwine, creating a dynamic tension between the softness of flesh and the metal that splices through it. Strange's deliberate use of found metal adds a layer of detachment to cut through the sickly-sweet pepto bismol coloured palette, inviting viewers to contemplate the interplay of intimacy, power-dynamics and desire. Her works intentionally provoke a sense of voyeurism, prompting viewers to decode layers of stereotyping, myth and possibility.

Influenced by Brechtian theatre, Tomlinson’s paintings depict ‘the familiar as strange’, inviting viewers to critically engage with the narratives unfolding throughout her layered paintings.

In the same way that aquariums trap and display marine creatures for passive observation, historical paintings often confine women to the canvas, rendering them as passive objects for the viewer's gaze. This metaphor extends to societal voyeurism, where women's bodies are constantly scrutinised and consumed. By challenging this passive spectatorship and disrupting voyeuristic power dynamics, the paintings challenge our understanding of women in art and society.