Laura Lancaster & Rachel Lancaster Remember, Somewhere

The first institutional presentation of the Hartlepool-born sisters’ paintings displayed together invites an exploration of their unique approaches to painting, through the commonality of their source material.

Laura’s paintings are inspired by found photographs, slides, and cine films of strangers, sourced from online auction sites, flea markets, and junk shops. Through gestural, expressive paint application, she transforms these discarded memories into works that balance abstraction and figuration which elevate the mundane into fragmented, surreal and melancholic visions. Laura’s process-oriented practice creates an ongoing dialogue between painting and photography, emphasising the tension between the physical reality of paint and the images it brings to life.

In contrast, Rachel paints fragments of cinematic imagery, often cropped from stills of 1980s and 1990s films. Focusing on intimate details, such as the nape of a neck or an arm resting on a cardigan, she creates a heightened sense of intimacy through the interplay of light, fabric, skin, hair, and pattern. In her new series of large-scale works, Rachel expands this exploration, merging sensuousness with monumentality, rendering these fragments both descriptive and abstract, suspenseful, and open-ended. Her strategic use of ambiguity creates resonant pauses, allowing emotional undercurrents to surface and find resolution. Through this, she reveals the uncanny beauty and quiet spectacle that exists beyond the action.

Remember, Somewhere spotlights the distinct yet interconnected styles of both artists, encouraging a deeper reflection on the formal language of painting. The exhibition is an exploration of the everyday and the overlooked. It creates an uncanny sense of familiarity by evoking personal memory and collective consciousness, conjuring a moment suspended in time for all who visit.