Demons

I am interested in visual representations of the devil and evil throughout history. I am particularly intrigued by woodblock prints produced in Europe during the late Middle Ages and the Reformation. These stark images depict every type of devil imaginable, from the Papist Devil to the Demon of Vanity. I am fascinated by the effect such images must have had at a time when churches were the only place where a person was exposed to visual imagery. Demonic representations would have been highly potent to the layperson, instilling a very real sense of horror and dread.

Using re-appropriated imagery from medieval woodcuts, this solo exhibition at the Galway Arts Centre (2007) explores some of the historical artistic conventions surrounding representations of the devil, altering their original meaning through their playful juxtaposition with depictions of everyday objects. The extensive repetition of these demonic motifs hints at the devaluation of the devil as a symbol, which has been rendered quaint to the point of comedy.