How Mary-Jo Lough’s Bold Art is Addressing Chaos and Neurodiversity

Mary-Jo Lough is a skilled artist whose work speaks about her personal experiences and creativity with depth. In this interview, Mary-Jo Lough shares her story and creative process, helping us understand how her ADHD affects her art. She also opens up about turning chaos into order, creating connected collections, and exploring personal stories through her work. Mary-Jo also shared how she uses her inner chaos to make lively, bold, and detailed art that challenges ideas about neurodiversity and helps people understand and care for each other better.

Mary-Jo Lough’s work is a form of self-portraiture, with each piece offering a glimpse into her interior world. The challenge of establishing order, despite working from a foundation of chaos, is the foundation of her artistic process and mirrors her experience with ADHD. Backgrounds of energetic collage and transparent acrylic layers symbolize the perpetual barrage of over-stimulation, while the overlapping pattern and line illustrate her ability to transform disorder into coherence. Energetic, bold, and intricately detailed, her work is the visual language of how she harnesses her internal chaos. Inspired by the dynamism of intense extremes and the interplay of competing forces, she purposefully integrated contrast into her work, utilizing variations in color, value, mark-making, and shapes.

This intentional incorporation of contrast adds depth and serves as a means of storytelling. By juxtaposing elements in this way, she aims to create a multi-sensory experience for viewers, guiding them on a visual journey that vividly personifies the vibrant energy and tension inherent in the convergence of diverse elements. Her unique perspective and experience as an individual with ADHD inform the authenticity and distinctiveness of her artwork. Through her creative expressions, she aims to offer a genuine portrayal of her lived experiences, contributing to a broader narrative that challenges preconceptions about neurodiversity. This adds depth to her artistic endeavours and catalyzes understanding and empathy, promoting a more inclusive perspective on the diverse ways individuals navigate the world.

1. Mary-Jo, your ADHD has a significant impact on your art. Can you tell us how it affects your creative process and how you turn chaos into order in your paintings?

In many ways my process of painting mirrors how I move through life. I have a hyperactive mind, reflected at the beginning of my process. My initial layers are created quickly, staying open and exploratory while relying on my intuition as a guide. The base of my work is chaotic and layered, similar to how I initially consider complicated concepts, and turning this into order involves a balance of spontaneity and structure. After several layers, I gradually see a connected movement between the shapes and marks. This is when I begin to refine, incorporating deliberate details, lines, patterns, and textures. This process of building up and breaking down mirrors how my mind works, constantly shifting and reordering thoughts, noticing connections and patterns until they form a cohesive whole. The ability to hyperfocus during these moments allows me to dive deep into the details, ensuring every aspect of the piece resonates with my vision. Creative problem-solving or pulling together many abstract ideas to create a solid plan is a common strength for neurodivergent individuals. In my creative process, I embrace the disorder that comes with ADHD. I’ve nurtured a deep connection to my intuition and purposefully draw from it to shape my art. My ability to think quickly and outside the box, coupled with an intuitive approach, enables me to transform chaos into coherence in my personal life and art.

2. Congrats on becoming an active Federation of Canadian Artists member in 2023! What did this achievement mean to you, and how has it changed your art career?

Thank you! Becoming an Exhibiting member of the Federation of Canadian Artists in 2023 was a significant milestone for me. It validated my dedication to my craft and connected me with a supportive community of talented artists. This accreditation has elevated my art career by providing valuable opportunities for professional development, exposure, and collaboration, inspiring me to push my creative boundaries and strive for excellence. ** The Federation of Canadian Artists has changed its terms, and what was an Active member is now called Exhibiting. I will make sure my website reflects this change as well.

My ability to think quickly and outside the box, coupled with an intuitive approach, enables me to transform chaos into coherence in my personal life and art.

Mary-Jo Lough

3. Your piece “The Sky is Crying” was featured on the main stage at the Calgary Renovation Show with designer Jamie Banfield. How did this opportunity happen, and how did it feel to see your work showcased like that?

Jamie and I are friends and met through my pre-art career job. When he was asked to present at and design the Calgary Renovation Show Stage, he asked me to create the art for the vignette. This was my first large-scale showcase of my work, and it was both daunting and exciting! I felt very vulnerable having my work up on stage, knowing that thousands of people could potentially see it, but years ago, I made the decision not to allow fear to make decisions for me – so I just went for it!

4. You’ve had solo shows for your Divergent and Atypical collections and have been in many juried exhibitions. How do you create a connected collection, and what stories or ideas do you like to explore in your art?

Creating a connected collection involves deeply exploring themes and concepts that resonate with me. For my Divergent and Atypical collections, I shared my personal experience as a neurodivergent individual with a focus on exploring and celebrating the unique attributes and “superpowers” found within ADHD. I use recurring elements, colors, and motifs to create a sense of cohesion across a collection. I weave a visual thread that ties each artwork together by consistently incorporating specific shapes, patterns, and a harmonious color palette. These recurring elements not only provide a unified aesthetic but also reinforce the central themes of the collection. This approach allows viewers to experience a continuous narrative or emotion as they move from one piece to the next, enhancing the overall impact and storytelling of the collection. In my art, I love exploring stories of personal growth, the complexity of human emotions, and the beauty of diversity. I aim to evoke a sense of connection and reflection in viewers, inviting them to see the world from different perspectives and find their own meaning in the abstract forms and layers within my work.

I aim to evoke a sense of connection and reflection in viewers, inviting them to see the world from different perspectives and find their own meaning in the abstract forms and layers within my work.

Mary-Jo Lough

5. In 2023, you teamed up with photographer Kelly Szott for The Body Project. Can you share what this collaboration was like and how it helped you explore new ways of creating abstract figurative art?

This collection was a labor of love and self-discovery. It started with a simple black-and-white figurative commission in 2020. It beckoned me to embark on a journey to unearth and redefine my own relationship with my body, a relationship that had long been marred by struggles, shame, and societal expectations. Teaming up with photographer Kelly Szott for The Body Project (and 12 brave volunteer models) was both an exciting and daunting experience for me, especially since I don’t consider myself a figurative artist. Initially, I felt quite intimidated by the prospect of working with the human form, as my comfort zone lies in non-representational abstract art. However, this collaboration pushed me to explore new ways of creating abstract figurative art by blending Kelly’s photographic expertise with my process and techniques. Kelly’s photography provided a solid foundation of realism, which I then interpreted and transformed through layers of paper, paint, texture, and abstract elements. Traditionally, in my work, I have used my own writing in collage layers. For this collection, I asked each model to write about their lifelong relationship with their body and then incorporate it into the base layer of each piece. The purpose of doing this was to imprint both my and the models’ personal journey in each piece, serving as a roadmap for viewers to connect with and contemplate their own narratives, struggles, and triumphs. This process challenged me to think differently about the human form and find innovative ways to interpret it while embracing both body positivity and neutrality. I continue to be humbled and grateful for the trust each model placed in Kelly and I. The experience not only expanded my artistic repertoire but also boosted my confidence in tackling new and unfamiliar subjects. Ultimately, it was a rewarding journey that allowed me to grow as an artist and develop a deeper appreciation for the beauty and complexity of the human body

6. Your artist statement talks about using contrasts and different forces in your work. How do you find the right balance, and what do you want people to feel or think when they see your art?

Finding the right balance of contrast and different forces in my work is a deliberate and intuitive process. I often juxtapose elements such as low and high value, chaos and order, or vibrant colors and muted tones to create dynamic compositions that engage the viewer. I achieve this through experimentation and careful consideration of how each element interacts within the piece. When people see my art, I want them to experience a sense of intrigue and contemplation. I aim to evoke a range of emotions and thoughts, encouraging viewers to interpret the artwork in their own way. Whether it’s a feeling of serenity from the harmonious blending of colors or a sense of tension from contrasting textures, I hope that my art sparks curiosity and invites deeper exploration into the complexities of the human experience.

Mary-Jo Lough’s art goes beyond visuals; it tells stories and fosters empathy. With each piece, she challenges norms and celebrates diversity, inviting viewers to explore the complexities of human emotions. Through her art, Mary-Jo sparks curiosity and understanding, impacting those who engage with her work. To learn more about Mary-Jo Lough, click the following links to visit her profile.