The Monthly speaks to multi-disciplinary artist, Zara Lyness – Part 2 – Influences to activities

Do you have any influences which have shaped your work?

My influences come from many different places. Pieter Bruegel the Elder had a painting, “Children’s Games”, which really struck a chord with me. The painting is 500 years old and you can see in that painting activities which children are still doing now. That connection I found very powerful.

David Hockney was a painter whose attitude towards, and within, his work really impressed me and I find his work very encouraging because he straddles many different genres. Another artist, Marcel Broodthaers’ work was very eclectic and he used lots of different materials as well. Cornelia Parker’s work I just love and I really like the way she observes things.

You work in many different areas; ceramics, prints, sculpture and performance. What themes and ideas are looked at through your work?

I discovered at the end of the Fine Art degree that there were three words which stuck with me the whole way through. Recognition, Recollection and Connection.

I tend to make work which is semi-autobiographical in that it is generally about something which I have experienced or something I’ve seen and something I have been concerned about. Recently I have made some work about Menopause because that is quite front and centre in my life at the moment.

You facilitate workshops as well?

I have been doing administration for over thirty years and am comfortable with that work. I also like people to have a go, to get a chance to create art. I want people to have access to art. Now I often say to people when we do workshops, “There is no wrong in this, we are just making marks on paper. We don’t have to produce something that will be exhibited in the Tate Gallery.” I want to encourage people to feel free to create.

I work at the University of Atypical and that is part of the process of encouraging access to art and creativity. I have been on the Student Support register for Ulster University because I want to give back. I had such a great time when I was at the university that I really want to help students get as much out of their time at university as they can.

I appreciate the space for academic work but there has to be time for the “everyday”.  I like the idea that we can tell small stories and that the average person can tell their story through art and can be creative, but they need to be given an opportunity.

Where to now?

I am working with my friend Tracy McCoey. She’s a printmaker and we are working on printing techniques to print on clay. We are building up a body of work with the theme of women and motherhood.

We are thinking about the connections between older woman handing down knowledge and connecting that with the idea that women hand down part of our genetics. We do let men in to the project but primarily we are looking at questions emerging from the lives of women.

And I am also working at University of Atypical and BBeyond as well as being on the Ulster University Support Register. So plenty to keep me going on many levels .