Further works in the style of 'Diluvian Delft' 2017

A number of delft-style porcelain disc works in the Diluvian Delft body of work began as life drawings that evolved in context to include mythological, art historical, and decorative iconography. This unconstrained free-associative development (deluge) of subjectmatter is a hallmark of this exhibition, and increasingly of my work:

Ann-Marie Tully, Europa Delft. Porcelain, cobalt. 230 (H) x 230 (W) x 30 (D) mm 

Ann-Marie Tully, Selkie Delft. Porcelain, cobalt. 230 (H) x 230 (W) x 30 (D) mm 

Ann-Marie Tully, Petit Mort Delft. Porcelain, cobalt. 230 (H) x 230 (W) x 30 (D) mm 

Ann-Marie Tully, Dead Hare Delft. Porcelain, cobalt. 230 (H) x 230 (W) x 30 (D) mm 

Polka Delft (below) is a work informed by my fascination traditional Celtic-origin fiddle music, and its hybrid migration and adaptation. I play very humbly, but I am told that my great grandfather from Kirkcaldy in Fife, Scotland, was a very great exponent!

Ann-Marie Tully, Polka Delft I. Porcelain, cobalt. 225 (diameter) x 30 (D) mm

Below a series of cobalt paintings on bisqueware bowls with scalloped rims that reminded me of the crockery of the 1930s. I decided to work with imagery that was reminiscent of the early to mid twentieth Century in content or style. The first bowl in the sequence is a portrait of my partner Richard; and the following two works are based on images of Rose Kennedy and Bobby Kennedy.

Ann-Marie Tully, Depression blues delft. Ceramic. 230 mm diameter

Ann-Marie Tully, Rose Kennedy delft. Ceramic. 230 mm diamete

Ann-Marie Tully, Bobby Kennedy delft. Ceramic. 230 mm diameter

The following playful mixed media works on found porcelain heads draw imagery from photographs of the tattooed body of Edith Burchett, wife of the famous English tattooist, George Burchett. While there appears to be a paucity of biographic information on this iconic figure, I like to speculate that she had Australian links due to a prevalence of kangaroo figures in boxing and brooch iterations on her body.

Ann-Marie Tully, Roo valley delft II. Porcelain, acrylic, oil paint, nails. 300 (H) x 150 (W) 

x 150 (D)

Ann-Marie Tully, Roo valley delft I. Porcelain, acrylic, oil paint, nails. 300 (H) x 150 (W) 

x 150 (D) mm

Bisqueware manufacture is a cornucopia of kitsch motifs. The ironic, humorous, and unexpected alteration of kitsch, utilitarian or quotidian objects has always been an area of fascination in my work. The following works are examples of this:

Ann-Marie Tully, Once were warriors delft I. Ceramic. 200 x 135 x 15 mm

Ann-Marie Tully, Once were warriors delft I. Ceramic. 200 x 135 x 15 mm

Ann-Marie Tully, Vanitas delft: homage to the language of being nothing. Ceramic. 300 x

 260 mm. In Progress.

Ann-Marie Tully, Vanitas delft: homage to the language of being nothing. 

Ceramic. 300 x 260 mm.

Ann-Marie Tully, Descansos delft: the million little deaths. Ceramic. 80 (H) x 100 (W)  x 

260 (L) mm

Ann-Marie Tully, Descansos delft: the million little deaths. Ceramic. 80 (H) x 100 (W)  x 

260 (L) mm

Ann-Marie Tully, Flight of Ganemedes delft. Ceramic. 300 x 250 mm

This piece represents a departure from the blue-delft, experimenting with a lovely sage green shade, and themes of antiquity - another thematic that has dominated in 2017!

Ann-Marie Tully, Argonaut delft [in sage]. Ceramic, kintsugi, golden fleece. 210 x 260 mm

Ann-Marie Tully, Argonaut delft [in sage]. Ceramic, kintsugi, golden fleece. 210 x 260 mm

Argonaut delft & works from the Diluvian Delft: Pompeii series included on the Agapanthus, 

'Craft of Clay' exhibition, June 2017.

I produced this porcelain plaque for inclusion in a Fibreworks co-production with the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation, entitled, UBUNTUTU: Life Legacies of Love and Action, which encompassed an exhibition of quilted and mixed media works, accompanied by a catalogue to mark the Archbishop Emeritus' 86th birthday. The ‘Delft-style’ porcelain plaque, designed to be included in a quilted assemblage was rendered in cobalt oxide, and based on a photograph of Desmond and Leah Tutu’s wedding. I felt that this celebration of their love for one another is an important element in a commemoration of the lives of these remarkable individuals. The monochromatic ‘Delft-style’ rendering in porcelain is a facet of my art production, and seemed suitable for the rendering of individuals who defied the tyranny of colour.