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)
