Untitled (Invest in Art)
2001
Mixed media on wood
65 x 52.5 cm (25 9/16 x 20 11/16 in.)
Untitled (Invest in Art) is an invitation to an immersion in a universe loaded with symbols. In the foreground, Llyn Foulkes includes a self-portrait, his expression disenchanted after reading the large authoritarian and alarming titles of a newspaper. Behind him, a painted landscape where multiple references – Mickey Mouse, the American flag and the control tower with an affixed Catholic cross – are juxtaposed.
By choosing an unusual arched shape for this painting, Foulkes echoes the shape of altarpieces from the end of the Middle Ages. This religious grounding is not insignificant: associated with the symbols of American capitalism, like Mickey, it reinforces the critical aspect of this work, a recurring theme of the artist.
A self-portrait embodied in a society criticised by Llyn Foulkes but one to which he remains deeply attached, Untitled (Invest in Art) is a complex narrative work. It is part of the Pinault Collection and was first shown at the 2013 “Prima Materia” (“Raw Material”) exhibition at the Punta della Dogana.
By choosing an unusual arched shape for this painting, Foulkes echoes the shape of altarpieces from the end of the Middle Ages. This religious grounding is not insignificant: associated with the symbols of American capitalism, like Mickey, it reinforces the critical aspect of this work, a recurring theme of the artist.
A self-portrait embodied in a society criticised by Llyn Foulkes but one to which he remains deeply attached, Untitled (Invest in Art) is a complex narrative work. It is part of the Pinault Collection and was first shown at the 2013 “Prima Materia” (“Raw Material”) exhibition at the Punta della Dogana.
Exhibitions
© Llyn Foulkes
© Llyn Foulkes
