Brendan Lyons: Reel to Real

Known for his innovative approach to painting, Lyons experiments with both traditional techniques and the material of artists’ paint itself. In this new body of work, recognisable objects and materials are recreated entirely from paint, blurring the boundaries between medium, subject and support. Aluminium tape reels, audio tape and paper rolls appear throughout the exhibition, but what look like everyday objects are actually constructed from paint alone. These forms extend from the walls and across the floor of Hamilton Vault Studios, creating a playful tension between what we see and what the work actually is. Rather than using conventional trompe l’œil techniques, Lyons allows paint to take on the physical form of the objects it depicts, with represented shadows and forms existing within the gallery space. The concrete walls and floors of the former bank vault provide a striking backdrop for this exploration of painting and perception. Brendan Lyons is a Liverpool-based artist who has exhibited widely across the UK. His work was selected for the John Moores Painting Prize in 2020, and he co-curated Refractive Pool: Contemporary Painting in Liverpool at the Walker Art Gallery with Josie Jenkins.