Cameron Lawrence
Cameron Lawrence’s practice is not primarily about pursuing concepts. It’s not about solving problems. Though there’s nothing wrong with either of these and his work often involves both, Cameron’s practice is really about presence—paying attention to his body, the space he’s in, the emotions he brings into the experience of painting, and how the materials interact with all of these things.
With that said, Cameron’s recent work is born of ongoing reflection on, and resistance to, what he feels is an over-reliance on mediated experiences of life, usually through one screen or another. They’re also in reaction to the glorification of data as a means of understanding the world: Lawrence creates paintings to facilitate an experience (for himself and the viewer) that transcends the various algorithms we so readily give ourselves to. The irony that people are often seeing his work for the first time online is not lost on him, but it's immensely gratifying when a piece makes its way into a collector's home. It brings Cameron joy to think that the physical artifact of the painting or monotype—representing his time, attention, and even affection—physically exists in the day-to-day life of another person and whoever shares their space.
Painting, for Cameron, is essentially therapeutic, a means of coming back to centre—a kind of prayer. As a process-based painter, sometimes initial gestures and layers lead to a concept that sharpens, becoming integral to the piece as he makes move after move with the materials. His hope is that what emerges in the process of making is something that connects him to you, perhaps in ways we don’t yet have language for but feel and understand intuitively.
Check out Cameron’s work below!
