'Acorn Cups' by John & Philippa Pullen-Eluem Painting

PHILIPPA ELUEM-PULLEN (Born 1955 in Oxford) JOHN PULLEN (Born 1954 in Hove, E. Sussex) BACKGROUNDWhat at first seemed an unlikely pairing when first they met at Chelsea School of Art in 1973, would prove to be the start of a long personal and professional partnership for Philippa Eluem and John Pullen. Although both originally began their training as Fine Art students specialising in sculpture, their personal influences could not have been more opposed. As a half Nigerian, Philippa had been impressed by the abstraction and geometric patterning which is a dominant characteristic of much indigenous West African art and design. John, on the other hand, had reached something of an artistic 'crossroads'. His earlier enthusiasm for sculpture was gradually being redirected towards more representational painting. In 1980 they moved to Cumbria but it was not until 2008 that they were eventually able to take their life changing decision to become full-time artists. During the intervening years of supporting themselves and their family through various forms of self employment as well as surviving a lengthy battle with mental illness and near insolvency, they nevertheless continued to experiment with different styles and art genres but gradually found themselves gravitating towards collaborative art work. A shared passion for walking and exploring the Lakeland fells and mountains was also starting to influence their choice of subject matter but eventually it was the personal 'chemistry' which shaped their current practice. Today they work 'in tandem' - quite literally on the same image - enjoying the challenge and excitement of their artistic improvisation and exchange. ARTIST STATEMENT In keeping with traditional illustrators, our own interpretation of botanical painting involves many hours spent making preliminary sketches often using powerful lenses. It is at this point however, that the similarities become less obvious and the drawings are developed into heavily stylised abstract compositions. We work mostly from dried plants and flowers which we prefer as the gradual dehydration process helps to accentuate the exquisite 'natural engineering' and sculptural forms that are less apparent in some fresh flowers, providing us with new creative opportunities. Under magnification, the boundaries of reality start to recede and it is possible to allow the imagination to take flight.