Lindsey Mendick: Where The Bodies Are Buried at Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Maja Lorkowska, Exhibitions Editor
Lindsey Mendick’s beautifully grotesque works, dripping with humour and hyper-specific cultural references, are making a grand appearance this year at Yorkshire Sculpture Park’s Weston Gallery.
Over the last few years, Mendick’s art career has been progressing at the speed of light, with exhibitions in London, Birmingham and Margate, where she recently set up her very own Quench Gallery. Having studied at Sheffield Hallam University, this solo show marks a return to Yorkshire with a large-scale immersive installation.
Her signature style is immediately recognisable and the multitude of references from Mendick’s own life, television and cultural experiences from the period between the 1980s and early 2000s will strongly resonate with audiences. The mundane mixes with the sublime as the artist visualises the process of navigating everyday life, with extraordinary attention to detail. Mendick’s work is often described as confessional and despite the intimacy of revealing deeply personal aspects of her life, it also offers drama, grandeur and maximalism in the sheer amount of work that goes into every show. An abundance of colour, form and eye-popping detail follows Mendick wherever she shows her work.
As the use of craft techniques in the sphere of fine arts continues to subvert its traditional role and associations with decoration and utility, Mendick’s works in clay give the medium a new role. Her intricate creations are at once incredibly personal and relatable, drawing on the contemporary feminine experience and popular culture. Inspiring a myriad of emotions from awe to disgust, Mendick creates fantastical worlds and narratives in clay, all rooted in her own life, dreams and memories.
This event is not to be missed, especially as spring will be waking up the Yorkshire Sculpture Park grounds from winter slumber. Lindsey Mendick’s work may shock and/ or delight you but it will not leave you indifferent, making it one of the standout exhibitions of this year.
