Details

First Name

Lisa

Last Name

Fenton O’Brien

Username

lisafentonobrien

Website

http://Www.lisafenton.co.uk

Region

Highlands

Disciplines

Drawing, Moving Image, Painting, Sound

Themes

Abstract, Environment, Figurative, Landscape

Statement

Statement

My work is influenced by the dramatic weather and wild landscape of the remote North West Highlands where I have lived for the past 20 years. Capturing a specific place at a specific time in my work and how to capture the passing of time in two dimensions has been the impetus throughout my career as an artist.  I have sketched, painted and recorded the changing lanscape and forest around the Balgy river for many of these years and I am currently working in a nearby temperate rainforest focussing on the sphagnum mosses and their high water content, heavy rain fall and the atmosphere of the environment where there is high precipitation and the resultant peaty ground.

The gestures I use in my work are instinctive responses to what I see and hear and also expressions of an inner emotional  landscape and I am currently experimenting with ways of using time based structures such as musical notations, scores, as well as physically incorporating the weather conditions into my work often making the work outside alongside changing conditions and sometimes using found materials such as ice, peat, grasses.

 

 

Biography

Biography

I trained at Brighton Polytechnic Art College, Ba (Hons) Visual and Performing Arts graduating (1989), Psalter Lane Art College, Sheffield Hallam University, Postgrad Certificate Fine Art (2004)   and I gained my Master Fine Art (distinction) at  Grays School of Art, Aberdeen 2007 where I was awarded an Arts and Humanities Research Board grant to study. I completed my PGCert of Education in Art and Music at Manchester Metropolitan University (1993)

I have completed residencies at  An Tuireann, Isle of Skye / An Tobar, Mull / Left Bank, Tarland as part of Sound Festival Aberdeen / Limousine Bull, Aberdeen. / Fort William for  Remote Performances on Resonance FM with London Fieldworks.

Previous awards include the Princes Youth Trust Young European Composers Award and Travel Bursary / A Japan Travel Award as part of An Tuireann Gallery touring my installation work to Japan, Denmark and France / Two Artist’s Awards from Hi-arts for research and development of new work / Scottish Arts Council Artist of the Month.

Selected Exhibitions 

2025 September. Upcoming Solo Show Gairloch Museum, NW Highlands

2024 September. An Talla Solais Members Show, Ullapool.

2024 August. Cold Paradise Contemporary, Summer Show, Shieldaig, NW Highlands

2024 July. Society of Scottish Artists. Ulaidhean/Treasures exhibition, Gairloch Museum/NW Highlands

2024 February. Visual Arts Scotland Centenary Show at Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh

2024 January. RSW 143rd Centenary Show at Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh

2023 Nov- Jan. Society Of Scottish Artists Annual Exhibition, MacLaurin Gallery, Ayrshire.

2023 Gairloch Museum Winter Show- group, NW Highlands

2023 Dockside Gallery Winter Show – Group Show/ Berwick Upon Tweed

2019 Inverewe Gardens, National Trust Scotland – Group Show / NW Highlands
2016 The Old Manse Group show, North Ronaldsay / Orkney.
2014 Remote Performances on Resonance FM short residency with London Fieldworks

2013  ET4U Contemporary Visual Arts Group Show  / Denmark
2013 Solo Show, Rhue Art /  Ullapool
2011 Solo Show /  Left Bank Gallery  Aberdeenshire.
2011 Sublime Film Festival IOTA / , Inverness
2011 Heartwood Group Show/ Blairgowrie, Perthshire
2010 Launch Collaborative, Group Show /Oxfordshire Visual Arts Development Agency. (OVADA )/ Oxford
2009 Artist’s residency Sound Scotland Festival, and solo exhibition, Left Bank Gallery , Aberdeen.
2008 Nexus Group Show and residency, An Tobar/ Isle of Mull.

2007 Residency at Limousine Bull, Aberdeen.
2007 Leeds International Film Festival 07. Pavillion /  Leeds.
2007 Sealladh 6. An Tuireann / Isle of Skye.
2006-8 Single Track Road. Video. New Media Scotland. Upgrade! International Festival / Belgrade / Boston /  Vancouver / Toronto / Paris / Melbourne / CCA, Glasgow.

2006-7 Disturbance. Installation. An Tuireann Gallery, Jarnac, France. Ichinomiya Gallery, ET4U Gallery  / Scotland / France / Denmark /Japan

1990 to 2005 Performed/ performed in venues ranging from The Playhouse Leeds, The Leadmill Sheffield, St. Pauls Hall Huddersfield, National Geographic Building London , BMIC London, The Pavillion Brighton, Festival of Saint Stephen, Palamartsa, Bulgaria

 

Professional Memberships

Visual Art Scotland 2024 selected as a professional member.

AXIS art professional member since 2005

 

Scholarships and Awards
2020 a-n bursary. (Artist Newsletter)  Time Space Money Award.

2006 & 11 Artists Award. Hi-arts. For research and development of new work.
2007 Visiting Artist in Japan for JIPB cube.
2006 Selected for Open Frequency on Axis and Axis Audio Gallery.
2006 Scottish Arts Council. Artist of the Month.
2005-7 Arts Humanities Research Council Bursary –MFA postgraduate study award.
1992 Princes Trust European Vision – national winner of young composers award.

1992 Pepinieres European Award for young composers – shortlisted