— ABOUT —
Dylan Lisle (b. 1978, Darlington, County Durham) is a figurative painter. He studied at Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen, graduating in 2000, and has since developed a practice rooted in classical techniques with a contemporary edge.
Lisle worked from studios in Aberdeen and Edinburgh for many years before relocating to Manchester, where he has been based for the past 13 years, working from 1853 Studios in Oldham. His work has been exhibited extensively across Scotland and England, with solo exhibitions in London, Edinburgh, and Aberdeen, as well as group shows in New York, London, Eton, Edinburgh, and Glasgow.
Dylan Lisle’s work explores the shifting perception of visual culture and its evolving purpose in a media-saturated, capitalist society. By questioning how we engage with and understand art, Lisle seeks to illuminate what we have become and where we are headed.
A central inquiry in Lisle’s practice is whether people still ask meaningful questions about art or actively seek deeper meaning. In an era dominated by small screens and fleeting digital interactions, the true experience of art is often lost. The traditional value of historical artworks and the technical mastery of the old masters are increasingly overlooked. Instead, social media and mobile technology distort our engagement with art, reducing it to superficial representations that prioritize instant impact over depth and contemplation.
In this fast-paced, visually saturated world, subtlety and nuance are frequently disregarded. The appreciation of complex narratives, conceptual depth, and artistic expression is overshadowed by the pursuit of sensationalism and hyper-realistic imagery. As successive generations become more accustomed to ephemeral digital experiences, the capacity for deep, sustained engagement with art diminishes.
Through his work, Lisle challenges these shifts, urging a reconsideration of how we experience and interpret art. He aims to provoke reflection on the changing nature of artistic value and the cultural consequences of an increasingly superficial visual landscape.