Silk Purse from a Sows Ear, 2009
This body of work titled ‘Silk Purse from a Sows Ear’ was exhibited at the Lane Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand in July 2009.
All works are screen-printing and painting on wood panels.
The title of this show comes from the saying ‘you cant make a silk purse from a sows ear’, which is something my grandfather used to say, and alludes to the idea of attempting to make something beautiful from something that is not.
In this series of works I combined my fascination with the grotesque, the weird and the hybrid (drawn from an interest in the engraving techniques in printed works of medieval bestiaries) and my love of the pattern, repetition and texture of antique fabrics and wallpapers. I wished to fill the gallery with decorative ideas of animorphism, laid out as if it were as innocuous a thing as a repeating wallpaper motif. The effect of the repetition of such oddities and curiosities is to generate a “second-glance” interest, whereby the sumptuousness of pattern draws the viewer into a closer examination of subject matter.
I like my work to draw allusions on one level to print metaphors (replica, edition, copy) and at a deeper level to the concepts of mutation. Mutation is the introduction of newness, difference and diversity into a genetic pool – a concept that is often viewed in a negative light and which has lead to the pejorative connotations of the term ‘mutant’. It is this idea of difference that is both societally unacceptable yet culturally fascinating.
From, Silk purse from a Sours Ear, 2009 Painting and Screen printing, 1000mmx1000mm
From, Silk purse from a Sours Ear, 2009 Painting and Screen printing 1000mmx1000mm
From, Silk purse from a Sours Ear, 2009 Painting and Screen printing 1000mmx1000mm
From, Silk purse from a Sours Ear, 2009 Painting and Screen printing 1000mm x1000mm
From, Silk purse from a Sours Ear, 2009 Painting and Screen printing 1000mm x 1000mm
Clones and other oddities- Chimera 2009
Emma Mclellan, painting and Screen print,
Works from the series, ‘Chimera’ 2009
Emma Mclellan, painting and Screen print,
Works from the series, ‘Chimera’ 2009
Emma Mclellan, painting and Screen print,
Works from the series, ‘Chimera’ 2009
Emma Mclellan, painting and Screen print,
Works from the series, ‘Chimera’ 2009
Emma Mclellan, painting and Screen print,
Works from the series, ‘Chimera’ 2009
Emma Mclellan, painting and Screen print,
Works from the series, ‘Chimera’ 2009
Emma Mclellan, painting and Screen print,
Works from the series, ‘Chimera’ 2009
All images painting and screen printing on panels, various sizes
Exhibited at the Lane Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand,2009
Estuary Textiles 2015
This work was created to celebrate the unique and fragile flora and fauna of Aucklands Manukau tidal estuary for the Estuary Art Awards in 2015. This work was exhibited at Uxbridge Gallery, Auckland New Zealand.
The work is made from digitally printed artist canvas and machine stitched, the dimensions are in two hanging variable wreaths each approximately 1.5 long
Spare Parts for Repeat Prescription, 2015
This work plays with an idea of re-created malleable spare parts.
Genetic engineering and mutation in its dual negative and positive connotations. It is this idea of difference that is both societally unacceptable yet culturally fascinating.
This can be worn, stored or exhibited. Reproduced sometimes perfectly, sometimes misprinted the individual images repeat like a gene codes with the slippages and twists.
Winner of Impressions II- Mairangi Arts National Print Award, New Zealand, 2015
screen- printed textiles and machine sewn
Recollections 2013-2014
This series of work spans several years and is a project I still add too.
Over several years I have viewed many everyday images of objects from online collections.
The screen prints on small, oddly cut panels explore the very human desire to collect objects.
As random imagined collections recreated they explore the nostalgia and sometimes aura an object can hold.
These images are a collection reproduced in second hand and recreated of someone’s treasured online blog.
Re -edited and sampled, I combine screen-printing and painting to rework images that hopefully create individual responses to narratives and connections to the past.
Homely Frontiers 2014
900mm x900mm
900mm x 900mm
900mm x 900mm
The Vivian Gallery, Matakana, New Zealand March 2014
These paintings explore the very human desire to collect objects.
I have sampled everyday images of objects from online collections.
Examining nostalgia and sometimes the aura an object from the past can instil, I am interested in the notion that some objects seem to have a life span of use; followed by a period of neglect. As time passes, some everyday objects are elevated to valuable collectable largely for there attachment to memory.
Carefully selected and edited, I combine screenprinting and painting to rework images that hopfully reveal individual reponses to narratives and connections with the past.
All works are screen- print and painting on panel.
My work is primarily about the process of screen-printing.
Sometimes I work on panels using screen-printing and painting together and have lately been working creating 3D textile prints.
Over the past twenty years interests in my work have combined a fascination with the grotesque and the hybrid (drawn from an interest in antique bestiaries and botanical prints) to animals and the second hand reproduced photographic image.
I have a fascination for animal curiosities, mismatched oddities and genetic mistakes in my work -I draw allusions to these with print concepts- replicate, edition, copy, misprint.
I often work from re appropriated and sourced prints and photographs in which to create my own images.
I attended Auckland University’s Elam School of Fine Arts, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts majoring in Printmaking in 1993, before continuing to compete a Masters of Fine Arts in Painting in 2001. The result of my affinity for these dual disciplines is a natural combination of the two that allows me to build multiple layers of colour, pattern and image, all the while seeking to conceal and reveal different elements of the composition.
I live and work in Auckland with my family. I lecture in Visual Arts at the Faculty of Creative Arts, Manukau Institute of Technology, Auckland and continue to exhibit in New Zealand and overseas.
