LEX PALMER-BULL
My path to becoming an artist was shaped by my upbringing in a creatively nurturing environment. It began with my decision to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the VCA, where I specialized in printmaking. Then, despite a hiatus for some years, I returned to pursue an honors degree at UTAS. It was mostly following the honors degree that I rekindled my focus for making art and it has been an ongoing and ever unfurling pursuit ever since.
My favourite art experience so far was seeing Jumaadi's live shadow puppet theatre performance of 'The Life and Death of a Shadow' at the MCA in 2016.
It's a way of making sense of the world. A method of interpreting our lived experience, our perceptions and our sense of being. It gives form to feeling and breaks down the barriers to individualised sensation. It's a language really, a means of communication in which the comprehension, unlike actual languages, is unique and personalised and can vary greatly between people.
Sawtooth has been such a foundational place for me in finding my footing as an artist. Establishing my arts practice has really only occured since living in Launceston and a substantial part of navigating that has been interwoven with support, experiences and the encouragement of Sawtooth. It's been a fertile hub of creative community who are kind and engaging and it is one of Launceston's great treasures
I'm so delighted to be a part of this wonderful initiative, and giving back to Sawtooth is a seriously good feeling because Sawtooth gives Launceston's art community so much.
Biography
Lex Palmer Bull is an Australian artist based in Launceston, lutruwita, with a passion for exploring the intersections of uncertainty and structure in her artwork.
In her artistic practice, Lex blends traditional printmaking techniques with digital processes,
crafting works that invite contemplation on the conceptual and technical aspects of the medium. Her exploration of uncertainty is manifested in the symbolic representation of precipices and structural elements, serving as metaphors for the complex and ever-changing
nature of existence.
In addition to, and often incorporated in, her printmaking practice, Lex has a deep-rooted fascination with material-led art making, sculpture, and installation. This interest stems from her early fascination with architecture and three-dimensional forms, which gradually evolved into an appreciation for process-driven art and the inherent beauty of construction within
the realm of printmaking, sculpture, and installation.
Growing up surrounded by the rugged coastal landscapes of Venus Bay, South Gippsland,
and now residing amidst the hills and undulations of northern Tasmania, Lex's artistic temperament is deeply influenced by the physical environment that surrounds her. The interplay between land and sea, sky and earth, finds its way into her work, imbuing it with a sense of place and possibility, enforced by her connections to her surroundings.
As Lex’s artistic practice evolves, an exploration of the nuances of uncertainty and structure remains unwavering; and this approach has led to solo and group exhibitions in Hobart, Launceston, Melbourne, Sydney, Japan, England and Canberra.
She has been featured in publications, undertaken residencies in Tasmania and been a finalist in multiple art prizes.