(i) Untitled in Different Guises III(ii) United in Different Guises VI

United In Different Guises III and VI powerfully subvert the codified languages of graphic sign by which we communicate. Referencing the aesthetics of flag and icon, works from this series are painted on fabric of the same standardised dimensions and displayed hung by bulldog clips; each work is patinated as if worn by a history of use. In fact, as signs they are emphatically useless. Echoing but evading the iconography of nation state, union chapter, noble house, corporate logo, or sports team, Ellis confronts us with compositions that explicitly eschew any legible heraldry, figuration or evocative colour scheme. All functional or symbolic utility is erased. Indeed, these two works, below their abstract bulb- and lozenge-shaped ensigns, bear blank spaces that look as if a motto or caption has been deleted. ‘I collect vast amounts of images and design motifs into a glossary for potential use’, the artist explains. ‘I draw my own designs inspired by them. The colours are chosen in a similar manner, but are intuitively worked and changed for each painting.’ Deconstructing the traditional authority of flags, banners and standards, Ellis leaves the meaning of his icons open, putting the power of semiotic determination back in the hands of the audience.