Fierce Archetypes, 1988-1994

In the 1980’s Lijn’s work was imbued with mythological and archetypal images. Lijn was uncovering different and new aspects of the feminine which were greatly nourished by her interest in a large spectrum of materials and technical processes.

Good Mother Bad Mother

(first three images)

1989

Diptych

Good Mother 204 x 143 cm

Bad Mother 204 x 154.5 cm

Oil stick on Arches paper.

Two paintings on paper of the mother archetype. Liliane’s encounter with this archetype proved to be emotional and extremely disturbing.

Working with archetypes can be dangerous because one is inevitably entering into unchartered areas of one’s own psyche with little preparation or external support.

Portrait of Lijn in front of the diptych by Stephen Weiss.

Photography of work by Plastiques.

Lady of Stormsea

1989

104 x 71 cm

oil stick on Whatman paper.

In Lady of Stormsea and Warrior Lijn shifted from using oil pastels to oil sticks which placed her on the verge of painting. She is intrigued with the difference between drawing and painting. The overlap between the two disciplines interests her most. The point at which colour begins to predominate and line blurs into surface.

Warrior

1989

104 x 71 cm

Oil stick on Whatman paper.

Chaos

1989

204 x 118 cm

Gouache on paper.

Her Monstrous Head

1989-1994

76 x 56.4 cm

Oil pastel on paper.

Dragon Fire I & II

Diptych

1988

104 x 70.5 cm

Oil pastel on paper.

Dragon Fire I and II form a diptych in which Lijn tried to visualise earth energies, which in ancient China were known as ‘ley’ lines or dragon lines, energy fields criss-crossing the earth.