A bit of a chat with Lady Lucy

Lucy Woollett, also known as Lady Lucy makes paintings, drawings and moving image. Her work is strongly informed by her interest in the social function and value of her activities as an artist and more specifically as a painter. She seeks to find meaning and political application in the process of painting and draws on the art historical lineages of collaborative art practice and portraiture. She told The Rebel magazine that, "Lady Lucy" is a name she started using when she first moved to London in 1996. She was doing performances, fanzines, writing and DJing. She sees it as a youthful gesture, born through a feminist intention, which stuck and has continued to be of use. "For more info visit: here A painting by Lucy features in a group show at Mare Street's The A Side B Side Gallery next week. The painting is called, 'Rrroadrunnerrrroadrunner' and the exhibition is called, Jo Mama's Second Alphabet Show.

The Rebel: What can you tell me about the work you've got in the Alphabet exhibition? "It is one of a series of paintings I have been making for a couple of years where I paint directly onto off cuts of loose linen or canvas. Some of them are collages. All of them are designed to hang in various ways."

The Rebel: Do you have a favourite single or album by Jonathan Richman? "Cornerstore" from Jonathan Goes Country" (1990, Special Delivery Records) listen

The Rebel: Would you rather own a red car or a blue car? "My Dad has a Datsun Red Z"

The Rebel: The Alphabet Show takes place at A Side B Side in Mare Street? Are you a fan of Hackney? "I live in one part of Hackney and my studio is in another. My studio is in Praxis, a Co-op and it may well be the last standing studio in Stoke Newington. I don't like what's happening in Hackney with various communities having being forced out due to gentrification. Of course the artists contribute to that process. so we should think ethically about how we work."

The Rebel: What's the best exhibition you've seen this year? "Flo Brooks - Is Now a Good Time Cubitt Gallery."

The Rebel: Who was the best art tutor you ever had - what was special about them? "Ellen Cantor at MA Chelsea College of Art and Design. Ellen waltzed into my studio and started role playing the New York School, she told me about some amazing painters and I was so enlightened. Years later it was so sad to hear of her passing."

The Rebel: Which painting of your own are you most proud of? " Probably the group portraits I have made such as Volunteers at Southbank Centre where I spent 3 months meeting and painting 60 Volunteers working at Southbank Centre over the 60th Anniversary of the Festival of Britain. I am also very fond of a series of drawings World Filmography 1968. It showed as a Drawing Installation in quite a few galleries across 2006 / 2007 including The Drawing Room, London International 3, Outpost Gallery, Phoenix, Brighton and The Unit 3 Gallery which was part of London met building opposite the Whitechapel Gallery."

The Rebel: If you went on Mastermind what would be your specialist subject? "POST PUNK"

The Rebel: Are you more of a cat person or a dog person? "Cat"

The Rebel: Do you rate the films of David Lynch - do you think he's made any great films? "Yes, and one of my Chelsea MA show works was a text piece that made a giant redacted script out of all the sentences in Twin Peaks containing the the name LAURA in them."

The Rebel: What projects / shows have you got coming up after the Alphabet show? "Finish My PhD. I am working with my fellow residents where I live on Herbert Butler Estate to make some portraits."