It is only fitting that Elinor Evans’ muse should be her loyal Dalmatian Picasso. He has appeared in many of her works over the years, his benign presence seemingly a calming force in the compositions. In her new solo show at Signal Gallery, she has taken this a step further and developed a distinctly canine theme and called the show Picasso’s Pack.

Since her student days at The Royal College of Art, Elinor has made a point of covering the faces of her human figures with mysterious animal masks. The identity and expressions of these characters are always concealed, leaving us with a distinctly sinister impression of their intensions. In the new show, Picasso’s Pack, all the masks are made by the artist herself and all are represent wolves or jackals.

The animal behaviorist, Konrad Lorenz, who has studied the early history of the interactions between the wolf, the jackal and primitive man, has long interested Elinor - in particular, his descriptions of the age-old relationship between man and dogs. He believes that this partnership, at its heart, has stayed much the same over millennia. In her new works, Elinor explores these relationships - with the human characters adopting their canine roles by wearing masks. The effect is stunningly playful and definitely disquieting. Many of the works make reference to earlier portraiture, particularly to that of the eighteenth century. The formality of some of the compositions, combined with her wonderfully confident and spontaneous brushwork and the mysterious masks, creates totally unique and fascinating results.

Elinor has shown extensively in London, in her native Wales and in Spain where she now lives. Her work is to be found in the collections of a number of important collectors. She has won a number of prestigious awards, including Fine Art Award at the National Eisteddfod in Wales. This will be her second solo show at Signal Gallery.

Signal Gallery
32 Paul Street
London EC2A 4LB United Kingdom
Ph. +44 (0)20 76131550
info@signalgallery.com
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From 12pm to 6pm and by appointment