Luke Cornish, better known as ELK, is one of Australia’s leading contemporary artists. Initially taking up stencil art as a hobby in the early 2000s, while working as a sign painter and landscape designer, Cornish has developed a distinctive practice encompassing intricate figurative compositions. In true street art style, his work often engages with controversial subject matter, exploring themes of war, religion and social conflict.

In this work, Cornish depicts a shadowy urban streetscape, its buildings illuminated by fluorescent signage repeating a single message: war is over. The stark contrast between the city’s darkness and the insistence of these glowing words lends the scene an unsettling resonance. As throughout much of his practice, Cornish uses the visual language of street art to interrogate the complexities of contemporary life.

Following his win at the Australian Stencil Art Prize in 2010, Cornish made history in 2012 as the first street artist to be named a finalist in the Archibald Prize. For collectors of Australian contemporary art, ELK’s practice offers a compelling synthesis of street-art immediacy, technical precision and social commentary.

ELK Luke CORNISH (1979 - )
'War is Over' 2016
Synthetic polymer paint on board
Image Size: 79 x 109 cm
Dimensions: 83 x 113 x 5 cm
Signed: Signed, titled and dated verso.
Comes with Letter of Provenance
Condition:very good
(c) The Artist or Assignee