Adam Cullen’s potent and provocative paintings take as their focus the human condition, often employing dark and base imagery. Painted in an aggressive yet naïve style, his paintings have always made reference to the style of graffiti and punk, thus drawing attention to the changing status of these ‘low’ art forms at the end of the last century. His iconic artworks take as their focus a range of subjects, from rabid dogs, to cowboys, to the infamous Ned Kelly. The work is extrovert, often skirting the boundaries of decency and taboo. The artist positions himself as an outsider, joining the ranks of the marginalized that he takes as his subjects.
Rather than simply designed for inane sensation, Cullen’s bold style and confronting imagery grabs the viewer’s attention, leading to contemplation of the bigger issues at hand, such as national identity, racism and social intolerance. Cullen treads a fine line between humour and angst, ultimately delivering personal and honest exposés of his contemporary culture and his own life.
Adam Cullen has been named one of the most influential and collectible artists of his generation. He graduated with a BA in Fine Arts from the City Art Institute, Sydney in the mid 1980s which he followed with a Graduate Diploma of Professional Art Studies. He was also awarded an MA in Fine Arts from The University of New South Wales. In 2008 Cullen’s work was the subject of a major survey exhibition, curated by the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Cullen has been a finalist numerous times for the Archibald Prize, which he won in 2000 for his Portrait of David Wenham. He later won the Mosman Art Prize in 2005 and the 2008 Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize. His work is in numerous public collections including The National Gallery of Australia, Queensland Art Gallery, National Gallery of Victoria, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery of South Australia, Art Gallery of Western Australia, Artbank, Griffith University Art Collection, The University of Queensland Art Museum, Gold Coast City Art Gallery, Tweed River Art Gallery, Geelong Art Gallery, and the Monash University Gallery.
