Abbey Lyman’s painting practice explores the dynamic between consonance and dissonance, examining how they operate in a continuous interplay throughout the painting process. How this interplay forms a fluid and ever-shifting aesthetic realm holds a central role in shaping the trajectory of this artistic practice.

This exploration arises from a curiosity about how decision-making processes can harmonize incongruent qualities, creating a space for unexpected possibilities. Her practice explores the interrelationship between a deeply ingrained sense of order, the disruptive elements perpetually emerging within the painting, and how this dynamic is strategically harnessed to actively prevent the work from settling into a passive state of resolution.

Throughout the painting process, there is an intertwining of sensation, emergence, and intervention.

The actual act of painting fluctuates between purposeful, ingrained mark-making and a more tumultuous, urgent response. Certain moments in the artistic journey carried a meditative quality, while others elicited a fear that the work was teetering on the brink of something entirely different, prompting swift intervention. Some phases yielded no discernible sensation at all, posing the greatest challenge for response and often resulting in tense, erratic marks.