Suicide is sexy

Amongst those that witnessed the art installation were: Andrea Roche and her fiancée PJ Mansfield, opera singer Paul Byrom, Nadine Wai O'Flynn, Niall McCrudden, Valerie Craughwell, Tara Sinnott, Stuart Musgrave, Anne McGoldrick, Bernie & Lorenzo Cafolla, Virgina Macari, Maria Fusco, Jilly Hamilton etc.
Likened to Andy Warhol and with an obvious disregard for convention Navan born Darryn has had a passion for art for almost a decade. Having studied at the Academia delle Belle Arte in Florence his inspiration comes from a focus on real life issues and concerns of today believing like Jeff Koons that 'art should influence people and make the world a better place'.
Indeed Darryn's paintings and concepts in relation to Performance Art are bound to provoke all manner of responses from viewers - some will love them others will no doubt not take to his often-irreverent approach to art. Hating the political correctness that has taken hold these days - a viewpoint that is definitely and defiantly not a defining feature in his art.
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 will see Gavin Lambe-Murphy 'commit suicide' on stage with the same shotgun Lee himself often thought of using to take his own life.
Said Darryn, "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."
Fascinating. Frustrating. Infuriating. Call him what you will but there's no denying that Darryn Lee is one the most intriguing characters in Dublin today. See for yourself on Tuesday March 28th 2006.