Liz Neal

Liz Neal is fascinated by the shared symbolism and emotional pull of fabrics. Through a process of cutting and rearranging, appliqué, sewing and embroidering she creates large scale compositions. Exploring the cultural and historical connotations of textiles, Neal thinks of these assemblages as paintings where she weaves new narratives from old.

Often figurative, Neal’s subjects can be sexual and provocative, with scenes of riotous female debauchery and landscapes of fleshy clouds. Drawing inspiration from a wide sweep of culture, from Renaissance paintings to newspaper front-pages and brash pop references her compositions reference dreams, literature and personal memories.

The Matriarch, 2005 is an example of Neal’s mixed media approach to sculpture. A regal-looking Elizabethan dress is constructed in striking black and red, and features Guinness cans, bottle caps, and oil paint.