Elizabeth Riddell’s practice spans sculpture, installation, and digital media. Drawing upon personal experience and social observation, her work explores the intersections of class, place, memory, and everyday life. Rooted in Glasgow and its histories, she examines how individual narratives are shaped by broader social and cultural forces. Her practice is informed by an interest in the overlooked and familiar, often focusing on domestic environments, communal spaces, and the rituals of daily existence.

Elizabeth work is currently resident in our Lynch Room with her installation, Backcourt Liz, a contemporary Glasgow folk character; part neighbour, part local legend and part unlikely domestic witch. Set within the everyday world of the tenement backcourt, Liz transforms familiar objects, clothing and rituals of communal life into something strange, theatrical and faintly uncanny. With her exaggerated nose, curlers, headscarf and talismanic garlands, Liz occupies the space between the ordinary and the folkloric, recalling the hags, bogles and eccentric characters of Scottish storytelling. The installation playfully presents her as a figure worthy of remembrance, suggesting how new folklore can emerge from the characters, places and stories of everyday life. The work asks what a contemporary Glasgow folk tale might look like: not a creature from a distant landscape, but an eccentric figure encountered in the backcourt, whose image becomes passed on, embellished and remembered.

See Backcourt Liz as part of our annual Autumn open call exhibition, We Fear Nae Evil. Six Foot Gallery is delighted to host thirty three artists exploring the strange and magical stories of Scottish Folklore. Our Sextet listening station is back with twenty-four new pieces for you to spend some quality time with.

Hi Elizabeth! How did you arrive at the theme of your work?
I’m interested in the everyday things and people you come across in Glasgow, and how they can become quite strange or funny when you look at them a bit differently. I’ve always liked the idea that every tenement backcourt has its own characters and stories. Backcourt Liz came from that really, and my own lived experience as a tenement dweller. I wanted to create a character who felt as though she could belong to Glasgow, someone you might have seen yourself or heard a story about. She’s a bit of a caricature, a bit unsettling, and hopefully quite funny too.

Can you elaborate on the significance or symbolism of the chosen title of your work?
I liked the name Backcourt Liz because it sounds like she could be a real person from Glasgow. It’s quite an ordinary name, but it also makes her sound like somebody who might have a bit of a reputation. You can imagine people talking about her or telling stories about her. The backcourt is a familiar part of tenement life, but it’s also somewhere a lot of things happen out of sight. I liked the idea of creating a character who might become part of that world, almost like a local legend. There’s a bit of a joke in treating her as somebody worthy of being commemorated, but I also quite like the idea that ordinary characters deserve that attention.

What emotions or reactions do you hope viewers experience when they see your artwork?
 I hope people find her funny, but maybe a wee bit creepy as well. I like that she’s not entirely one thing or the other. There’s something familiar about her, but she’s also a bit exaggerated and strange. I’d like people to have their own reaction to her rather than feel they need to understand a particular meaning. Maybe she reminds them of somebody they know, or maybe they just wonder what on earth she’s supposed to be. I quite like that.

How do you know when a piece is complete?
It’s usually a feeling that the work has got to where it needs to be. I don’t need everything to be completely explained or resolved. I like there to be something left for people to work out for themselves. With Backcourt Liz, I wanted her to feel like a character in her own right, without having to give everyone her full life story.

Which artists inspire you? Are there non-artistic influences such as literature or music that impact your work?
 I get ideas from all sorts of places – I’m really into music and album art, particularly Peter Saville and the way he uses colour and simple graphics to make an impact. I like things that catch your eye but have a bit more going on when you look closer. A lot of my ideas come from living in Glasgow and noticing things around me – the people, the buildings, the humour and the odd little things that happen in everyday life. I’m interested in folklore too, particularly how stories and characters develop around ordinary people and places. Rachel MacLean plays the roles of the characters in her work, so this been an inspiration to me in Backcourt Liz, as has the late Queen Elizabeth II and The Child Catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang!

Is there anything else you would like people to know about your work or your experiences as an artist?
 I’m currently studying Fine Art at Glasgow School of Art, specialising in Sculpture and Environmental Art. A lot of my work starts with things I notice around me, particularly everyday objects, shared spaces and the funny or strange side of ordinary life. I like using humour, but there’s often something a bit darker or more uncomfortable sitting underneath it.

Find out more about Elizabeth’s work on Instagram. We Fear Nae Evil runs at Six Foot Gallery until Friday 16th October.