A Fold in Time

Lynda Cullen takes immense delight in combining and juxtaposing imagery sourced from art and design histories. By ‘folding’ them into a single scene, she paints compact, colourful compositions in gouache, opening a dialogue across time between borrowed elements.

Plants and furniture from her own garden and mid-century home in Ōtepoti Dunedin make cameos – some seemingly in the process of arriving into the picture plane to converse with the work of other artists. It is not ironic postmodern detachment that underpins these works however, but revelry in colliding colours and aesthetics to produce lively homages.

The concept of time folding offers a scenario where past, present and future interact simultaneously to influence each other. Cullen is interested in how selected elements can collaborate to produce unexpected, compelling resonances. They may spur recognition in those with an interest in art history, or provide an entryway into discovering unfamiliar artists.