Lindy Lynch

 Interview by Jane Churchill

 “In a post-pop, post-op, post-punk, post-hipster world, Lindy Lynch is both retro and visionary, in the best eclectic way. She is at the cutting edge, and the grindstone, of a very modern artist’s technique and trade. Shape and form are often created from discarded, disused, disassembled materials and products, found in abundance amid a commercial, consumer, throwaway world… not just to re-emerge, but to be reborn and reassembled - beautiful and objectified in the inimitable Lindy lynch style…”
 – a message from artist Buzz Sands

Lindy Lynch was a finalist in the 2018 BAM Arts Prize, submitting a piece of work made from old electrical wire she found while renovating her home. She is the true definition of what a sustainable artist looks like, creating everything exclusively from recycled materials. Her ecological artworks display a high level of craftsmanship, combined with an eye for fine creative detail. 

Jane. When did your interest in creating art from specifically recycled materials begin?

Lindy. I think as a kid. I used to make things from my brother’s train set. He had a flat board in a train set structure. It had a few mountains and tunnels that looked pretty boring. So, I made little towns out of boxes, matches and cotton, and all sorts of things to liven it up. I made power poles with cotton attached to the boxes, which were the houses. So yes, it all started when I was a kid. Then I started renovating old clothes into new pieces. And I suppose the art started from there. I remember we needed an outside table. We didn’t have enough money to buy one back in the day, so, I taught myself how to build one. My building skills were quite good for someone who had never been taught.

Jane. Where do you find most of the materials that you work with?

Lindy. I pretty much recycle anything I can get my hands on, and I find things in all sorts of places. It is great fun going through the sheds of friends and finding things they didn’t even know were there. I go to op-shops, the beach, and I even find things on the side of the road. When I go through peoples’ sheds, I always find lots of rusty nails in interesting shapes.  I also always look for lots of recycled cardboard and paper. When I was a kid, I used to collect shells on the beach and take them home to my mother who was an artist. She was a painter, and I struggled putting paint on the canvas. So, I always ended up doing things with them.

Jane. These days, do you prefer to create sculptures or more 2-D work?

Lindy. Both. I do all of them at once. I can have a boat being made in one part of my studio, a dog on another bench, and be cutting something up, like tape measures, on another bench-top. I go from piece to piece when I’m sick of dealing with one. I can have four or five pieces on the go at one time.

Jane. What’s your favourite piece you’ve created?

Lindy.  I used to work in a little shop that sold magazines, and the magazine paper had great ink. So, I collected all those and folded them, cut them, and put them on a board. I think that is my favourite piece I’ve ever made. My second favourite would be the electrical wire piece.  We had just renovated our house, and there was a lot of wire that was just going to the chip. So, I saved it all, and instead of taking it to the landfill, I cut it up into little squares and then assembled it all together into an artwork. There are fantastic colours in that piece!

Jane. Where do you get the inspiration to create pieces like that? Does the idea often come after you forage the materials, or do you have an idea in mind first?

Lindy. I do both actually. I collect a lot of stuff, and then I think, gee, that could be a dog. Many of my ideas actually come when I am cleaning up. The ideas come when I find different kinds of things. My studio is organised chaos. I put certain bits aside for dogs or certain projects I want to create. At the moment I am collecting bread clips. I pretty much organise things into certain piles and then see what I can create. I have a boat draw, a dog draw, and then crayons and pencils in another area.

Jane. You did an exhibition at Lone Goat Gallery last year. How did that go?

Lindy. Well, I was really lucky to get a cancellation. When I initially called, I was told it could be two years before there was availability. However, two months later I got a call that there was a cancellation. I have over 300 pieces of artwork in my collection at the moment. I’m really good at making art, but not very good at showing it. I can’t put myself out there. The exhibition went great though. The positive feedback I received was fantastic, and the kids’ reactions to the dogs and the boats will always put a smile on my face.