Laura Fishman Paints Stairs And Coats In High Viscosity

Tabish Khan
By Tabish Khan Last edited 124 months ago
Laura Fishman Paints Stairs And Coats In High Viscosity
Laura Fishman. Image courtesy of the artist and Degree Art
Laura Fishman. Image courtesy of the artist and Degree Art
Diaphaneity, Laura Fishman. Image courtesy of the artist and Degree Art
Diaphaneity, Laura Fishman. Image courtesy of the artist and Degree Art
London brick, Laura Fishman. Image courtesy of the artist and Degree Art
London brick, Laura Fishman. Image courtesy of the artist and Degree Art
Pour No. 6, Laura Fishman. Image courtesy of the artist and Degree Art
Pour No. 6, Laura Fishman. Image courtesy of the artist and Degree Art

Laura Fishman is an emerging artist who first came to our attention at last year's Signature Art Prize with one of her 'Pour' works. It features a wooden base and rather than use it, the paint appears to have missed the mark as it sits in one corner and flows over the edge and on to the surrounding wall. It's both an innovative take on painting and displays a sense of humour, going some way to demystifying the widely held view of artists as perfectionists.

Fishman may not have won any of the prizes but her work was noticed and now she is completing a residency at Degree Art's Execution room on Vyner Street. This gives her the opportunity to further experiment with how her unorthodox painting style can be built upon and developed.

The works in progress already set out a move to a larger scale - paint flows across and down a set of stairs as if it's trying to break free, a reflection of the creativity that most artists have within them. There is also a raincoat that has been coated with layers of paint in both a play on words and a manipulation of materials to the extent that the original underlying object appears to melt away beneath all the layers.

There are also some more orthodox paintings by Fishman and some of her painted bricks but it's the more unusual works that are the highlights here. With so many painters creating artworks in London, it's often difficult to stand out but Fishman's works challenge the norm and set her out as an artist who is playfully pushing the boundaries of the painting medium and as one to watch out for to see where her art takes her next.

Laura Fishman: High Viscosity is on Degree Art, 12a Vyner Street, E2 9DG until 16 December. Entrance is free.

Last Updated 07 November 2013