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- Ellie Cullen
Ellie
Cullen
Lucifer
Ellie Cullen continuously blurs the boundaries between Fine Art and Design through her use of materials and processes. She is concerned with the haptic and tactile qualities of materials and the relationship between objects and space. Her work which is provisional, opulent and dramatically decorative, is a fusion of personal fantasy, mythology and social commentary. Through the use of somewhat ‘cheap’ ready-made materials, she reflects on the concern with the politics and psychology of identity and authorship.
‘Lucifer’ (titled after the biblical figure better known as Satan or the Fallen Angel) has many connotations but the artist places specific emphasis 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, Cullen plays 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.
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