Llael Shannon a Suburban Artist
What influenced your style of painting?
My style has developed over many years and I guess my greatest influences are Edward hopper and Jeffery smart.
Some of your work has been described as gossip on canvas, how did you arrive at chosen your subject matter?
I grew up as a middle working class girl in a lower working class part of Melbourne called Spotswood. It was a place full of all sorts of people and events. Im not saying we were above the rest of the inhabitants of Spotswood, just that we seemed a little luckier than most, to me anyway. Whenever anyone had an event, good or bad, my grandmother would be the one they ran to for help. I lived with my Mother and Grandparents in a 1950's weatherboard home. Spotswood was industrial and suburban at the same time, in the summer twilight hours the streets were full of kids and parents cooling off,chatting and playing. During the day huge trucks raced up and down the roads, it was a bit of a contrast. We often stood in the driveway at night listening to oil tankers blow up due to lack of regulations at the time. For the most part our little world was peaceful and polite but we did have a murder in our street when I was about 11. Our place was the headquarters for the police during their investigation and I loved it. Another one of my distinct memories is listening to my Grandmother gossip over the back fence to her neighbour. I think this is where I get the questions in my paintings ,Whats he/she doing sort of thing. Some of the people in my paintings (that I primarily get from my head) are probably me recalling a bit of gossip my Grandmother passed on to her neighbour that were not always intended for a little persons ears.
You use oil, why?
To me its simply a superior material. You can move it around and manipulate it much more easily than acrylic. I do use acrylic form time to time but only on small work. Im an oil painter, its much more romantic dont you think?
Indeed, What are you working on at the moment?
I am working on a new series to be exhibited as a solo show next year at Pantechnicon Gallery in Daylesford and then it will be moving on to the Melbourne international Art show Its called "Observations In Light" I will also be doing a showing at my studio for a couple of days.
Thanks and we look forward to seing the new series soon.
Interview by RH , Art Site January 2004
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