Elizabeth Pulie

Thirty-three (from untitled series) 1991

Thirty-three and Twenty-nine reference the decorative art of books of ornament from the late nineteenth century and books of design patterns from the early twentieth century. Through stunningly precise large format painting, Elizabeth Pulie addresses notions of ‘art and commodity’ and ‘deliberateness of production’.

The generic patterns are familiar, reminiscent of tiles, wallpaper and fabric, but simultaneously embody notions of reproduction and originality. Carefully constructed and self-sufficient, these two works could be seen as a pair, as they engage a dialogue that transcends three hundred years of art history: the ideals of Jean Bérain (1640–1711) and William Morris (1834–96) seen in Twenty-nine; and the streamlined machine-age forms of Art Deco in DUNDAS, Douglas, reflect the total design concepts of early modernist movements.