Suicide is Sexy ....?

The invite was vague and it intrigued everyone. Trendy Clarendon Street fashion store Ave Maria was packed on Tuesday night as guests came to witness art in motion. Controversial artist Darryn Lee was presenting the concept for his next series of paintings, Suicide is Sexy. Yeah, it was the title that grabbed the attention.

The performance art piece starred Gavin Lambe – Murphy and Sonia Macari, both of whom put on a magnificent show as they “committed suicide” with a shotgun and rope noose respectively. The jokes are too easy, but even Gavin quipped “after I pull the trigger there’ll be a massive cheer”.

Needless to say the mass media was whipped up into a frenzy with this risqué subject being glamorised. However, Darryn was at pains to point out that he didn’t, in fact, think that suicide is sexy.

Citing a diversity of influences from Caravaggio to Loaded magazine, the source of Darryn’s methodological madness can be traced back to the trauma he suffered when his 19 year-old brother Martin was killed in a car crash in 1999. Soon afterwards Darryn went to pursue his studies in Florence during which time he became obsessed with death inspiring many works in which he envisioned himself dead, in a coffin. Darryn’s personal suffering did not stop there for he went blind at the age of 18 and only got the all clear on one of his eyes 6 months later due to an error by a local hospital.

This obsession with both cursing God and dealing with the death of his own brother and his own suicidal feelings all inform his art. Darryn’s work includes the painting in which he juxtaposes a Christ-like figure against the dictionary definition of the word ‘Bastard’ while his Suicide is Sexy Performance Art Show used the same shotgun that Lee himself often thought of using to take his own life.

“I want to give Irish people more appreciation for the diversity of art and to broach the subject of the progression of our society and its social problems. I’m very interested in the idea that art should be relevant to today’s society. Nothing less than bringing the mountain to Mohammed will satisfy me”, says Darryn.

The event, hosted by Maria Fusco, was well attended, with guests including opera singer Paul Byrom, Nadine Wai O’Flynn, Niall McCrudden, Valerie Craughwell and Tara Sinnott.

Triona “Party” McCarthy was looking fab and was with her pal, fashion designer Mel Jago of Jago Couture. Actually, Triona was telling me that she’s been informed of a group of internet users who have developed a rather weird fascination about her. A fan club or a crowd of stalkers, we don’t yet know.

Andrea Roche, who was there with fiancée PJ Mansfield, was so incensed by the whole event that she called the Gerry Ryan radio show the next day to voice her opinion.

Stuart Musgrave, make-up artist Zoe Clarke, Bernie and Lorenzo Cafolla and fashion designer Virgina Macari were also there having a blast.