Okay firstly, hello. Welcome to my site. I thought my first blog post should be an introduction. My name is Lisa. I come from London but live in Bristol. I’ve got 3 cats and about a hundred plants. I am neurodiverse, which just means I navigate the world differently to most. It comes in handy. I see and hear things and make connections that most people don’t even register. This all comes out in my artwork. The downside is that I find it hard to attend private views and social events as it can be too overwhelming and I can’t talk about my work very well in that setting.
I’ve done lots of different things in my lifetime so far. I’ve been a tour manager, I’ve been involved with 2 different circuses both performing and behind the scenes, and I used to have a shop and a mail order business. I’ve been a mature student at university, which I am so proud of as it felt like a big fuck you to everyone that said I would never achieve that.
I am a multi media artist. Which is basically a fancy way of saying I make work in many different formats; 2d, 3d, installation and animation. I paint, I make collages, assemblages and do some digital work. My abstract works can be heavily influenced by pattern and geometry and all those things that most people don’t notice or totally chaotic. I love little details. Because I am poor my work is predominantly made from materials destined for landfill. And also because I hate waste. And also have you seen the price of paint !! My work tends to deal with issues relevant to my life such as feminism, health, social and environmental issues. Sometime I get a bit ranty with my subject matter (politics/misogyny) and the work just seems to make itself.
Kaleidoscopes are my current obsession. I love the way different elements come together to form a completely new idea. I’ve been making three-dimensional collages that to me resemble kaleidoscopes; the original slices of material transform and become something new, almost resembling life forms. These multi-layered pieces are all painstakingly hand cut using optical surgery scissors and knives.
I get inspiration from many sources – folk art, pop art, Victoriana, circus, biology, horror, bugs, curiosity cabinets, sci fi, pop culture, psychiatry, psychedelia, geometry, the grotesque and the surreal. I can’t pass a charity shop without pouring over the bookshelves. My house is full with books. I have my own library. I will read them all I promise.
I am in awe of and am influenced by artists such as Louise Nevelson, Joseph Cornell, Yayoi Kusama and Sebastian Wahl. If you haven’t heard of these artists look them up. Start with Nevelson, the most glamorous skip diver I have ever seen.
I have a side project called Sole Destroying. For many many years now I have been documenting all the lost shoes I encounter. I am fascinated in how the shoe, which was once so valued has become such a throwaway item. Head over to instagram/soledestroying and give the project a follow.
Talking of socials it would be remiss of me not to mention the others instagram.com/lisa_travers, facebook.com/lisatraversartist and pinterest.co.uk/lisatraversartist
I am very proud that I have got my work out there and have exhibited in shows at the RWA, Spike Island and Bruton Art Factory and have made work for Bestival and Glastonbury Festivals. The piece I made for Shangri-La at Glastonbury was my biggest so far. I would so love to do something like that again. I seem to make very big work or very teeny tiny intimate work.
If you like what goes on in my world please join the mailing list, every 4-6 weeks I send out an email to my special crew with news of art fairs and markets (remember the good old days??), news of new products and little treats like discounts and freebies. Head on over to www.lisatravers.co.uk and sign up. I promise not to spam the life out of you. Not even a little bit.
Well that’s enough for now. If you got this far thanks for reading. Lx
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