Lee Allane is an artist and writer. He had his first solo exhibition in the Woodstock Gallery, London, shortly after leaving university, followed by subsequent shows in the Compendium and Corner Galleries, Birmingham, and a number of joint shows in the UK and Europe. Since then he has exhibited infrequently, preferring to avoid the mainstream art world and show his work privately. His work is held in a number of private collections throughout Britain, Europe, Australia and the USA.
Lee Allane is also a writer, who has produced four ‘art/craft’ books (published by Thames and Hudson), and numerous articles and other publications in various magazines and newspapers in the UK, Europe and the USA.
Artist's Statement
If we look at a painting only with our eyes we will never see the blood mingling with the paint. If we listen to a symphony only with our ears we will never hear the tears falling between the notes.
Our senses are mere conduits between the world outside and the world within, a bridge over which perception and knowledge may pass if we dare to overcome our fears and bid it welcome. So if we rely only on our eyes to see – we are blind, If we use only our ears to hear – we are deaf.
When I stare at a blank canvas I rarely have any clear idea what I want to achieve, why I choose to make a particular mark or where that mark might eventually lead. Sometimes a stray image sneaks into my head, or the remnants of a song slowly morphs into physical form, or a vague emotion whispers in my ear, demanding a face.
All I know is that I make a mark, follow the directions hidden in the paint and eventually arrive at a destination, never quite sure where I am or how I got there, but with the vague knowledge that the train has stopped and that particular journey has come to an end.
If I am lucky a ghost enters the machine. I can’t see the ghost in the machine. I can only sense its presence, moving quietly beneath the colour and form, spreading life and feeling through the paint. I don’t know where ghosts come from, who puts them into the machine, or why they choose that particular place to dwell.
So what I have to say about my work is of no importance. A painting either impacts on the emotions of the viewer or it doesn’t - and no amount of detailed insights into motivation, intention or subliminal meaning will compensate for what is lacking in the work. Reputation, status, ego, reward and previous successes or failures are irrelevant. Only the work matters and it should be allowed to speak for itself.
