As a scenic artist, Lacey Bryant (b. Louisville, KY, raised SF Bay Area) paints haunted houses and stage sets for parks and theatres. She also carves sculpture for parades such as the annual SF Chinese New Year parade and SF Pride. This occupation flows into her own art practice, providing visual inspiration as well as a wide range of production skills. Her work in oil is often composed from multiple sources, life, photo references, and her imagination. These paintings range from large atmospheric pieces to intimate portraits on cigar boxes. Diorama, murals and installation are natural extensions of her work in theatre. Her work is woven together by repeated symbolic motifs, and by a tension between and nostalgia and strangeness.
I’m interested in the in-between places. Eccentric old buildings, off-season park equipment, and lonely roadside vistas. I love theatricality and how a few simple props can suggest a story. I photograph discarded objects in the street to use in my compositions, weaving new narratives in along with the lost ones. Sometimes I paint directly on found objects or patterned papers. I prefer it when things are slightly ambiguous, leaving room for multiple interpretations of a scene. This creates a dreamlike atmosphere which is enhanced by anachronistic or surreal elements. Figures often appear distant or obscured are repeated over and over. These characters act out intimate plays of human emotion that resonate with current events and personal stories.
