Dominic McElwee
Olympia
Oil on anodised aluminium
150 x 200 mm
$3,200
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Olympia’s title refers to Manet’s famed painting of the same name, which itself was a modernistic homage to Titian’s series of reclining Venuses (most famously the Venus of Urbino), which in turn were based on Giorgione’s Sleeping Venus. Before Manet, the same lineage had already been echoed in now-famous works by Velazquez and Goya, works by both of whom inspired other specific homages on Manet’s part.
On one level, my own Olympia is a familiar contemporary archetype: the appearance of perfection, in the immaculate minimalism of the subject’s apartment, belies her malaise within it. On another level, the painting reprises an older archetype: one that has reverberated throughout centuries of art history, repeatedly adapted to shifting sensibilities.
– Dominic McElwee
Artist Bio
Dominic McElwee is a contemporary New Zealand artist based in Palermo, Italy, specialising in refined realist paintings on metal in miniature scale. His work draws influence from European art of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, with McElwee favouring narrative figure compositions that incorporate subtle social commentary. Through this approach, he engages with art-historical tropes, revisiting iconic imagery and themes while infusing them with a critical, contemporary perspective.
McElwee’s meticulous technique is defined by his exceptional command over light, colour, and material, which plays a central role in the emotional depth of his work. Working within small and miniature scales, he creates compositions with an intense tactile quality, where light interacts with the smooth, reflective surface of copper. This subtle manipulation of surface and light gives his pieces an immersive, almost sculptural presence, where the interplay of form and emotion is deeply intertwined. Each brushstroke is executed with precision, allowing McElwee to invite viewers into a direct, visceral engagement with both the visual composition and its underlying narrative.