Lachlan O'Neill

Practicing Artist based in Perth. Curtin Bachelor of Arts Graduate 2025.

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Ambiguity

A body of work exhibited at Curtin Grad Show 2025. Symbolic and impressionistic oil paintings exploring the boundaries of ambiguity.

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Artist Statement

I am interested in how ambiguity serves as a facilitator for tension within the horror genre. In a society where ambiguity as a permeative artistic force is increasingly eroded by the rapid development of the internet, surveillance and artificial intelligence, I seek to establish and explore the forgotten capabilities of ambiguity within contemporary horror art. Through representational paintings, I seek to produce an unsettling affect within the liminal realm of ambiguity, the abject and the sublime. This body of work allows me to explore the nature of how ambiguity creates a sense of unease through a visual medium.Where mystery is largely diminished by the modern era, I want to rediscover the unknown. The success of this endeavour remains in the hands of each viewer and their interpretation of what can or can’t be known or understood within each painting. A key proponent of this body of work is taking advantage of the ambiguity of darkness. Images emerge from darkness in enigmatic locations. Contemporary Artists such as Justin Mortimer, Paul Hale, Joseba Eskubi and Roberto Ferri present a representational approach to ambiguity within their works and both technically and thematically inspire my artistic practice.Investigating the remnants of ambiguity within art and images is of significance for an increasingly punitive and dogmatic society. Meanings and explanations are fervently sought after to assuage discomfort and subsequently erase the intrigue and primitive mythos of the unknown. Within the horror genre, the unknown is perhaps what perplexes us on the deepest level and unveils within us things we’ve buried or turned away from. I want to re-expose the viewer to the tension of ambiguity and reinstate an awe and appreciation for its sublime influence.