Lynne Arnison – Uphill Struggle

For obvious reasons, Scarborough Art Gallery has not held an East Coast Open since 2019. However, the current exhibition has attracted over one hundred artists. The works submitted include textiles, painting, prints, mixed media and photography. While this is not a competition, there will be a public vote to identify the most popular work. This is a profile of just one of the artists.

It is not difficult to see why Lynne Arnison’s painting has proved so popular at the East Coast Open. A sympathetic subject, local references and a universal theme, among others, conspire to make this painting one that strikes a chord with most visitors. At first glance, we have a poignant portrayal of an elderly woman climbing a steep incline.

Sentimental?

Hardly, there is a detached eye here, rooted in the quotidian: the old lady is framed by a kerb, stone walls and peeling render. She carries heavy shopping bags and a sign above her head ironically invites us to ‘Paradise. These are images that touch us all generally, but are also particular to Scarborough. Paradise is both Elysium and a part of the town; the plastic bags are both an enemy of our habitat and an advertisement for the Boyes’ store.

We are story telling creatures. In looking at Uphill Struggle, we formulate a number of questions for our imaginations to work on: who is she? where is she going? why does her laborious progress probe our conscience?

Lynne Arnison acknowledges these ambiguities, but insists that she wanted to put paint on a canvas in a way that would engage viewers. Principally, it is a tribute to the indomitable stoicism of a generation of women such as her grandmother. And that is what many visitors to the gallery also see.

Lynne is not only a successful painter. She works as a volunteer at Scarborough’s Stephen Joseph Theatre and as assistant to photographer David Arnison. She has held a number of Artist in Residence posts and one-woman exhibitions. Her next venture is to be part of the Big Ideas by the Sea festival and Leeds 2023 where she will return to her home town of Morley. All this from someone whose training in Art was cut short at quite an early stage. Cynically, I wonder if failure to gain entry to an Art College might have been no bad thing.

When asked about who has been influential in the development of her artistic life, she immediately responds with the names of the Pre-Raphaelite painters and Egon Schiele and Gustav Klimt. These came early in her development and were admired particularly for their use of colour.

More recently, she has developed an appreciation for the works of Harold Riley and the Camden Art Group. However, interest currently resides with photorealist Robert Wells whose work, despite its literalism, Lynne finds mysterious. Choosing one piece from the current exhibition, Lynne opted for the works of Patrick Burke which she describes as ‘atmospheric’.

Lynne’s recommendation for any aspiring artist would be to visit the East Coast Open, identify those works that illustrate a site in the local area and go there to compare the choices that the artist has made with the reality of the scene. When probed further about Uphill Struggle, she agrees that one of her choices was to increase the slope of the street to emphasise the ‘struggle’ element.

Having the opportunity of discussing works of art with the artist is always a privilege. Meeting Lynne in front of her East Coast Open submission was particularly agreeable and enlightening.

If you would like to see more of Lynne’s work, she holds regular ‘open studio’ events, with dates available through her social media outlets.