Liz Gridley

Australia b. 1989
Lives and works in Naarm (Melbourne, Australia).

From an artistic interest in the consideration of emotive human experiences, Liz Gridley’s work centers on her experiences of states of hyper-emotion. Distress arises from overstimulation; feelings of overwhelm from external stimuli that cause a physical response in the body. Though the recent revelation of her diagnosis with ADHD has shed light on Gridley’s emotional nature, hyper-emotion remains a core element of her personality and sense of self.

Meditation, contemplative thought, and catharsis regulate this emotional response and re-centres the body, only to then anticipate the next emotional wave. Through contemporary figurative oil paintings Gridley reflects her internal states and connects viscerally with the viewer.

The personal inevitability of death & death care is a point in which dialogue can be culturally celebrated or silenced. Here Gridley’s experience with hyper-emotion makes room for conversation that is often taken for granted or pushed aside as taboo.

Gridley’s passion for realist oil painting has developed to include the use of contemporary surfaces. The reflective appeal of aluminum panels allow the viewer to influence the work by changing reflections visible through the transparent paint layers. The exchange of shadows across the paint surface allows the painted figure to occupy the space of the gallery with the viewer, rather than hide in the sealed, imagined ‘window’ of canvas.

Gridley had her debut solo exhibition ‘Empathy, My Witness’ in 2018 at Off The Kerb Gallery following her Major Prize win at the Graeme Hildebrand Art Prize in 2017. She has been a Finalist in a number of awards including the Kennedy Art Prize, Cliftons Art Prize, the Beautiful Bizarre Magazine Art Prize (USA), and the fortyfive downstairs Emerging Art Prize. Gridley has been awarded a place in the “2024 Inaugural Victorian Artists Society Coterie” sponsored by the Hansen Little Foundation. She has also completed recent public art demonstrations and mentored other emerging artists.

Education

Growing up in the eastern suburbs of North Ringwood & Park Orchards, Lizs interest in art was fostered by her parents, allowing her participation in after school art programs and when they were no longer available, life drawing sessions.

Her interest in traditional art was paired with skills in graphic design when accepted to Monash University in 2008, where she completed a Bachelor of Visual Art (with Honours; mentor Rodney Forbes) in 2011.

Although tertiary study did not include realist or traditional skills - Gridley has completed workshops with notable realist artists including Robin Eley, David Kassan, Shana Levenson, Robert Knight and Rhonda Gray.

Gridleys key education in figurative work has been the continued participation in Life Drawing sessions (Ringwood Art Society, Hawthorn Artists Society, Top Secret Life Drawing and now The Victorian Artists Society) Extensive self-driven study and her participation in the emerging arts communities of Naarm(Melbourne).