Love Story

"As can be seen in Love Story, for a number of years, I have been looking at representations of romance, innocence and the concept of ‘possibility’ often connected to youth. I am attracted to the aesthetics of nostalgia and kitsch, and I am concerned with the way these elements work on the viewers’ interpretation of an artwork. I often juxtapose binary oppositions (innocence/experience, good/evil, love/hate) to encourage a reassessment of basic perceptions.

One notable response I received from the first exhibit of this work was from a woman who had recently broken up with a long-term boyfriend. This is a small part of the email I received from her: 'I found it extremely powerful, and it was further amplified for me because my own relationship was in trouble.... I must admit, I am presently struggling, and I have constant images of the couple you painted flashing before me; their intense passion, their hands together, the female's head turning as he tells her it's over, and the silhouette of the man slumping to the ground in an alley, head in hands, completely overwhelmed with anguish.'

As an artist, there are many times when I feel disheartened by how much art can really achieve. Reading the email from this woman was incredibly touching. It was an example of how art can move someone and have an effect on real experiences. I hope that, in some way, the work helped her get through this difficult time, and I was very thankful to her for sharing her personal experience with me. 

Having romance as a basis of work, even when it is about struggle, often leads people to view my work as particularly 'feminine'. I understand that it is something unlikely to be produced by a man. Having said that, I hope it is something men can respond to. Although I see my body of work as relatively non-political, previous works of mine have been viewed through a feminist context. 

Within Love Story, the nature of the characters - marked by the shape of a silhouette - is intended to give an universal feel to the work. The lack of dialogue adds to this feel. Instead, body language is used to convey meaning, emotion and narrative. The form of the work looks at the common events and components used in romantic narrative structures. The eight pieces are repeated in different orders in order to create different romantic narratives, some ending happily, some not so much. "

Lorraine Heller-Nicholas in a statement to PLATFORM:VB (October 2013)