Platform: Lindsey Mclean

Unfolding in ebullient strokes of creamy whites, rose pinks, and dusky purples tones, Mclean’s work is immediately recognisable in its traditional aesthetic and contemporary execution. Characteristic of her practice are voluptuous figures that play with the idea of entanglement and movement as they are accompanied by lavish feather boas, fans and veils. Exploring notions of femininity surrounding the female figure and the male gaze at its centre, Mclean’s series playfully draws from classical iconography and 20th century paintings. Almost suspended in time - they recall the aesthetic of François Boucher and Titian. Concerned with reclaiming feminine excess and frivolity on strictly feminist terms, this body of work draws from the fête galante paintings but with a distinctly contemporary freshness. 

Mclean’s paintings are also about the exploration of paint, as each fluid brush stroke coalesces lyrically on the canvas to create striking imagery that slips from pure figuration and borders on abstraction. Despite the harmonious arrangements of colour and form, and the decadent paraphernalia, the mood remains unsettling. This effect is caused by the often cloaked faces of the protagonists of these stories. Even when the eyes are visible, upon closer inspection, it seems as though they are never staring directly at the viewer, but at something in the distance. Gazing into an unknown abyss, the eyes are full of emotion. This further enhances the mysterious atmosphere, intensifying the paintings’ contemporary sensibility. 

The work Veil and Sword follows the story of the Roman noblewoman, turned saint, Lucretia. Her tragedy began when Sextus, the son of the tyrannical Etruscan King of Rome, raped her. Lucretia extracted an oath of vengeance against the Tarquins from her husband and father, after which she killed herself in shame. Enraged by her death, Junius Brutus led a victorious rebellion against the Etruscan king and freed the Romans from Etruscan rule, marking the beginning of the Roman Republic. 

Mclean’s rendering of the tale is an empowering challenge to the way that St Lucretia has been portrayed throughout the years. Unlike her previous portrayals, in Veil and Sword Lucretia is in full control of her destiny, projecting the sword outward and towards the viewer. Traditionally a masculine symbol, in this work the sword is stripped of its power. Lucretia's face is cloaked with a flowy white veil, granting her the anonymity and respect that she deserved. By reimagining traditional narratives, Mclean questions and critiques both history and contemporary culture that often fetishise the victimisation of women.