McCaughey, Eleanor

Eleanor McCaughey lives and works in Dublin. Her work is an exploration of contemporary representations of

portraiture, referencing the tradition of still life. The work juxtaposes past ideas of identity and power with new

ideas, taking reference from elaborately embellished Asmat ancestor skulls, Christian iconography to the modern

day selfie. Recent work has referenced from Adam Curtis’s 2002 documentary series ‘Century of the self’ which

advances the thesis that Freud’s views of the unconscious set the stage for corporations and later politicians, to

market to our unconscious fears and desires. Her work responds to ideas of self expression, the way we examine and

present ourselves, attitudes to fashions and the distorting lens of social media. Eleanor has exhibited both nationally

and internationally including the National Portrait Gallery London, the Royal Ulster Academy Belfast, and the RHA

Dublin.