France is patterned by Lee Ellis
Explore Mondoir Studio
Medium: acrylic & spray paint on paper
Dimensions: 60 x 60 cm
Year: 2022
Status: available
"France is patterned" emerged from a playful misinterpretation that sparked my imagination. The idea that "Knowledge is power - France is Bacon" opens a whimsical door to reimagining Francis Bacon, not as the stoic figure we know, but as a canvas for exploration. This piece is a dialogue between the familiar and the unexpected. I began with a charcoal drawing of Bacon's visage, screen printed to provide a consistent foundation across 22 pieces. Here, I infused vibrant acrylic and spray paint, layering geometric patterns over his face. The bold reds and blues create a striking contrast, challenging the viewer to see beyond the surface. The horns, sketched with a light touch, add a mischievous twist, inviting a deeper look into the playful nature of interpretation. Through this work, I hope to evoke curiosity and a sense of wonder. I want viewers to question their perceptions and embrace the joy of seeing something known in a completely new light. This piece is an invitation to explore the limitless possibilities of imagination and reinterpretation.
Why collect this work?
A severe frontal portrait is interrupted by a jaunty blue-and-white pattern, turning recognition into a contest between likeness, surface, and visual joke.
- Ellis states that his practice considers how bright colours and patterns can mask difficult subjects. That intention supports a reading of concealment here, although the title’s pun also keeps the image comic rather than diagnostic.
- In the photograph, the isolated head floats against a red field. Dense black modelling fixes the stare, while repeated angular motifs cut across the face and lightly drawn horns unsettle its authority.
- The catalogue records acrylic and spray paint on paper. Ellis reports using a screenprinted charcoal portrait as the shared foundation for 22 works, allowing repeated likeness and individual painted intervention to coexist.
- The work is particularly relevant to collections concerned with quotation and serial variation: it reworks Francis Bacon’s public image through a misheard phrase, graphic repetition, and deliberate irreverence.
About the Artist
Lee Ellis
Lee Ellis is an artist on Mondoir Studio. Artistic discipline: painting. Based in Bristol, United Kingdom.
Nationality: British
Themes I explore within my work are depression and addiction, how they affect people and the ways in which they are masked through 'bright' colours...
