Australian-Irish artist Lisa McCleary, now resident in New York, discusses her upcoming solos show at Gallery MC, eroticism, surfaces, sci-fi and insane amounts of hard work…

Lisa McCleary, Corp ages Fuil/Body and Blood, 2018, 10ft x 4ft x 7ft, oil on aluminum, concrete, threaded rod, steel

Andrew Frost: The last time I saw you, you were about to graduate from the Honors year at UNSW Art & Design, and now you’re in New York with another degree, and a new solo show on the horizon. It seems like you’ve had a pretty exciting adventure. Could you talk about how you came to be there? 

Lisa McCleary: It’s definitely been a busy and exciting few years. After moving from Ireland to Australia to complete my BFA at UNSW AD I knew I really enjoyed engaging with a different culture and could see that the experience had a positive influence on my practice. In 2016 I was accepted to the Master of Fine Arts Program at Parsons, The New School, NYC. I couldn’t believe that I would get to experience the NY art world, it was overwhelming and I was very honored to be accepted. The Parsons MFA Program offers 20 students a unique opportunity to have a studio in Manhattan while learning alongside a wide range of international and national artists. Masters Programs in the US are structured very differently to Aussie ones, intense hours, a lot of course work and constant critiques. It toughens you up, much like New York at large.

Since I graduated last March I have been exhibiting nationally and have been fortunate enough to receive a space at four different US art residencies. I just completed the Art & Law Programin Manhattan, lead by attorney Sergio Muñoz Sarmiento. It is a seminar that focuses on the study of law, with an emphasis on how its discourses and practices impact visual culture, self-governance, and history. It was fascinating to use legal texts, structures and modes of thought to critique current artistic, curatorial and theoretical practices. Next month I will be undertaking the Vermont Studio CenterResidency for which I received their VSC grant. I realize how fortunate I have been to experience the art world in New York and I haven’t taken it for granted. I’ve been working non-stop to experience all that I can while in the States.

For more of the interview click on the link.