The Rape of the Angels

The Rape of the Angels takes the shape of a comic strip with multiple symbols, combining lively speech bubbles and gloomy characters. One, the artist’s self-portrait as a man overwhelmed by anger, accuses the other, disfigured by a collage of hands wielding bank notes. A Mickey Mouse humming on his shoulder reinforces the metaphor of the business world, despised by Llyn Foulkes.

A mix of cartoon and Pop Art narrative, The Rape of the Angels refers to the close association between Llyn Foulkes and these two worlds since the 1980s. The multiple references to Los Angeles, both in the title and in the “LALALAND.CO” lettering on the painting itself, recall the artist’s attachment to this city, which he recognises as having a central role in his work.

Llyn Foulkes’ The Rape of the Angels stages in a very personal way a caustic critique opposing the world of business. Part of the Pinault Collection, this painting was first shown at the 2013 “Prima Materia” (“Raw Material”) exhibition at the Punta della Dogana.