Erin Lawlor’s recent work delves more deeply into the idea of place.

While she has long seen painting as a space for both imagination and psychological exploration, her process – working horizontally and using a wet-on-wet [alla prima] technique – turns the canvas into a physical ground, shaped by focused, immersive labour.

Each painting captures a layered, evolving process – a moment in time built up through action and intuition – yet each one must ultimately hold together as a complete, cohesive whole.

The title divining speaks to both a careful, almost scientific reading of the surface, and an instinctive, emotional response. It also points to the search for something ideal or imagined, a sense of discovery that lies somewhere between the real and the hoped-for.

A Highlanes Gallery National Tour curated by Aoife Ruane.