Shell Painting, 1998
oil on board
63.0
x 48.5
cm
signed and dated 'Culliton '98' (lower left)
Provenance
The artist
Acquired directly from the above in 1998
Exhibited
'Shell Paintings', Level Gallery, Newtown, 1998
A relatively early work by Lucy Culliton, 'Shell Painting' (1998) depicts five shells from the artist's grandmother's shell collection. The shells are beautifully rendered in muted tones that reflect the shapes and shadows in a soft, gentle light. Painted with such exquisite detail and attention, the shells are ascribed a very personal and genuine attachment, one which elevates the objects' significance despite their apparent lack of conventional value. This work is indicative of Culliton's skill in engendering seemingly inconsequential objects with the essence and power that comes from the artist’s emotional response, immediately drawing the viewer into the sensual depth of the painting.