'Lucifer'

About:


‘Lucifer’ (titled after the biblical figure better known as Satan or the Fallen Angel) has many connotations but a specific emphasis was placed on a series of events in Ireland, particularly the recent economic crash and religious scandals, exploring the role of material substance in governing cultural values. Such happenings have highlighted the dominant and ultimately negative characteristics of Irish society which include greed, falseness and a certain ‘tackiness’.


Through the specific use of cheap gold foil, I played on the contrasting implications of the colour gold. As a rare metal, gold is highly valued for its beauty. It is a colour associated with success, achievement, luxury, royalty, prosperity, prestige, value and sophistication. It is powerful and has the potential to amaze and overwhelm with spectacular display. Within the clergy gold symbolises power, majesty and the presence of God. However, today’s mass appropriation of gold has forced it to become less valuable, garish and not rare in the slightest.


Dimensions: 13 meters x 1.5 meters


Medium: Gold Foil installation


Year: Graduate Show 2016

Artist's Statement

After exploring female sexuality and the excess of the feminine in depth, my work has become more about the body and flesh, both human and animal. Artists which have greatly influenced my recent work are Philip Guston, Cecilly Brown, Marlene Dumas, Berlinde de Bruykere, Francis Bacon and Willem De Kooning. Other artists I have researched include Matthew Barney Jake and Dinos Chapman. I would say that feminist artist, Cindy Sherman, has remained my main inspiration to date.

Jenny Saville, Francis Bacon and Lucian Freud have given me a better understanding in how to apply paint; I love how Freud applies thick layers of paint.

Over the last while I have thoroughly enjoyed learning how to prepare supports correctly and experimenting with oil paints. I have attempted to use various size brushes and to paint thinner to make my paintings slick, smooth and more fluid-like. Drawing with the paint helps to build form.  However, I like my paintings to be textured and I tend to apply thick layers of paint straight from the tube with a palette knife.

Sketching with expressive fluid materials such as ink and taking photographs has given me a varied subject matter for paintings. 

I wish to continue exploring and expanding my subject matter and ultimately produce a series of paintings. I also hope to improve my painting skills, and perhaps begin varying the size of my work.

Limerick Art Society

A huge Thank You to Limerick Art Society for this lovely award for my work. Thanks to my tutors for nominating me.As a young artist, it feels great and encouraging to have your work appreciated.

My Studio

My Studio Space

The Gaze Reversed