Liz O’Brien
The Expectation
mixed media, liquid light emulsion on cotton
7 x 5 x 2 in. | $250
Untitled #1 (from The Returning series)
inkjet print on cotton rag, expired film photograph
24 x 24 in. | SOLD
Liz O’Brien is an emerging visual artist from Newcastle, Australia, working within analogue photographic processes to explore experiences of womanhood in contemporary Western societies, eco-feminism and how societal influences shape individuals’ identities. Having experimented with photographic processes throughout her tertiary education, O’Brien has grounded her practice in traditional darkroom techniques combined with digital methods of printing and image manipulation. Her key practices in creating works include use of expired film types, pinhole photography, liquid light emulsion and incorporating textiles and salvaged materials into printing and installation.
The conceptual concerns O’Brien presents advocate for women having full bodily autonomy in terms of reproductive rights, fighting the stigma surrounding women choosing to forgo motherhood (as explored specifically in “The Expectation”) and ideas of eco-feminism (presented in “The Returning”). Merging traditional and modern photographic technologies, O’Brien captures emotive imagery of gestural, performative female figures placed either within or devoid of natural environments, carefully staged with symbolically charged imagery. Through the careful choices of material production and captured imagery, O’Brien presents her conceptual concerns in an intimate, reflective manner for audiences to determine their own personal interpretations.
© Liz O’Brien