Interview with Lindsey Mendick: Jupiter Artland Presents Growing Pains in Dundee

05.10.2025

Lindsey Mendick at Growing Pains exhibition, Dundee.

Artist Lindsey Mendick has transformed a vacant high street shop in Dundee into an immersive artwork as part of Jupiter Artland’s offsite project, JUPITER+ DUNDEE. Titled Growing Pains, Mendick has created an imagined estate agency where she scrutinises class and identity, social mobility, and - drawing on formative experiences – focuses on the dreams, aspirations and fears of teenagers.

Known primarily for her works in clay, the Dundee installation includes eight meticulously-crafted glazed ceramic doll houses that burst with teen ephemera, along with works in stained glass and short film ‘You couldn’t pay me to go back’.

Part of Jupiter Artland’s mission is for every child in Scotland to have access to transformational experiences through contemporary art and learning opportunities. JUPITER+ brings art to high streets across the country and has to date taken place in Perth (2022), Ayr (2023) and Paisley (2024) with installations created by Rachel Maclean and Anya Gallaccio. In each area, spaces are created to facilitate free learning and mentoring for local young people and community groups, all working to demonstrate the possibilities of a career in the creative industries.

Mendick has previously presented work at Jupiter Artland, and last year her show entitled ‘Sh*tfaced’ (2023) won the Sky Arts Award for visual arts. She was originally introduced to the sculpture park’s owners Nicky and Robert Wilson by fellow Margate-based artist and mentor Tracey Emin, whose show I Lay Here For You was held there in 2022.

“The reason I create comes from my gut, and it's about things that I'm scared about, or that feel really urgent to me. I feel the shows always reflect different stages of my life,” Mendick explains, “Growing Pains is an estate agents on the high street about my teenage years. I think there was this incredibly odd stage of me absolutely loathing my parents – or just not wanting to be in my family home – but then also needing their guidance more than ever because what was going on at school was so difficult. School is difficult – I probably made someone's life hell and someone made my life hell, and every time I've spoken to any adults about this show, they always say: ‘you couldn't pay me to go back’.”

But Jupiter Artland did just that – and Mendick returned to the London suburb where she grew up to create a short film. Back then, it was the dawn of the internet and mobile phones and teenage Mendick was being bullied by her peers via malicious calls and texts. She felt isolated, unable to make friends and didn’t feel able to share these worries with her parents. “I ended up taking an overdose because I didn't really know how to make it stop,” she says. But Mendick wants to tell young people that life can change and creativity can have a positive impact on your ability to deal with adversity.

“When I did go back for the film, I realised there was a lot more love there, and there were some beautiful things about growing up. I made some really great friends who I'm still friends with now,” Mendick reflects, “For younger people, I would hope they’d see they weren't alone, and that when I started working in the school’s art department, it became such a solace to me. I found my path and things did get better,” she adds, “Jupiter brings these really accessible works to the high street, making art look like a possibility for young people.” The significance of the exhibition being in an abandoned estate agents also allows Mendick to explore ideas of social mobility, trying to “keep up” and buy into the belief that postcodes and possessions have the power to elevate your existence.

“It’s something that's on the high street always reminding you to be aspirational – it doesn't leave us the idea the grass is always greener and, for me, I feel that it's important to show how that doesn't leave you.”

Mendick has been impressed by past JUPITER + projects and was excited to be able to put her own spin on things in Dundee. “Jupiter cares so much about these projects so I think for the first time in quite a long time I feel like I've been creating something I really believe in. Rachel Maclean’s was absolutely incredible and it's very hard to follow her and Anya Gallaccio because both create such absorbing, incredible shows.

“I’ve made quite a lot of shows about different times in my life and I thought there would be a time that I'd get old enough and this wouldn't hurt, but there wasn't. That's what has made me a little bit sad; I haven't managed to accept those demons. The show is about that – this abandoned estate agent is like a keeper of my memories and it hasn't left me. I might not make peace with it, but that's OK.”

Growing Pains by Linsey Mendick is exhibited at 15 Reform Street, Dundee, until 21^st December, open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am – 4pm