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STUCKISM
ELSA DAX
Paris Stuckists

Biography & links




VENUS AND MARS

HERMAPHRODITE

ARGUS

BACCHUS


Biography

Lives between Paris and Camden with architect husband, John Kerr. Passionate about Greek mythology.Mother of two young girls, Sophia and Jeanne. Bonne vivante. Médoc, Cordier, écrevisses, wild pigeon, cèpes mushrooms. Walks in the Bois Vincennes and by Camden canal. Part-time smoker. Solo shows in Paris and London. Puts on make-up on bus journeys - "I can't paint on buses, so I have the pleasure of painting myself."


14.5.72 Born Paris, France
1984-89 Paul Valery School, then Paris Sophie Germain
1989-90 University Sorbonne, D.E.U.G. (Russian)
1990-94 Paris VIII University, MA (Cinema)
1995 Production Assistant for film Whistler, an American in Paris
1996 Production Assistant Musée d'Orsay, Librarian in Pompidou Centre
1997 Production Assistant Ciné Lumiere, French Institute, London
1998- TV advertisement editor, Extreme Information TV
1999 Editor Cannes Advertisement Festival 2000 Exhibited Stuckists Real Turner Prize Show, Pure Gallery, Shoreditch 2001 Founded The Paris Stuckists. Curated Stuckist Vernissage (Stuckist Paintings) at Musée d'Adzak, XIV arrondisement, Paris.
2004 Featured artist in The Stuckists Punk Victorian show at the Walker Art Gallery
2006 Included in Go West show, Spectrum London gallery
2008 First person to sign the petition to the prime minister for him not to reappoint Serota as Tate director.

"Venus and Mars" painting

"My aim is to paint all the Greek and Roman gods and goddesses. I've been working on this series for eight years; it will probably take me another eight years to complete. I try to penetrate with my imagination into the essence of the god or goddess. After painting them I feel as if I'm protected by these deities on a spiritual level. When I painted Venus I felt quite happy and relaxed; Mars made me feel like Churchill - the warrior, the struggle. Venus and Mars don't appear to be intimate, but there is a subtle sexual union. His penis is about to enter her vagina."

Work method

"My research is based on two things. The first thing I do is to read through academic books about the god/goddess, and look superficially at sculptures and past illustrations. The second thing is to look at infant picture books; I like the simple technique - there is nothing pretentious. I plan out the painting in my head for a few weeks and get a rough idea. I start the painting by locating the main character. The rest of it spreads out around that. I work all over the picture and - this is incredible - discover images like you might discover figures in a cloud. A painting takes me a good three months."

Press

Profiled In Mungbeing magazine (Feb 2008)

Links

Elsa Dax web site

Text based on The Stuckists Punk Victorian book (National Museums Liverpool)

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