There is a presence of narrative possibility playing out within and beyond Cudahy’s painted surface. In Only the devil could enjoy there is a quiet intimacy felt in the work,...
There is a presence of narrative possibility playing out within and beyond Cudahy’s painted surface. In Only the devil could enjoy there is a quiet intimacy felt in the work, the viewer close to the back of the subject’s head. There a waiting of sorts, creating the sensation that we are on the brink of something about to happen. Cudahy creates an unusual composition, exploring space and place in elements of exteriors and interiors.
The devil in Only the devil could enjoy is inspired by Duccio di Buoninsegna’s The Temptation of Christ on the Mountain (1308-11). In Cudahy’s work the devil is reconfigured to be the reverse side, we see the devil’s back looking out.