Finding the path

 

This is  painting I did a few years ago and the subject is something which has always fascinated me ie steelwork . This image originated in an open-topped bus-trip through Porto and under this wonderful steel bridge. I took a number of photos up through the structure as we passed underneath it. I have since been looking for similar subjects and only recently have I begun to find more material:

 

 

Guess where?

So here I am delighted with my objective - to do some more paintings and then to carry these forward into print, using a number of different techniques. All reasonably well and good until I discover Nicola Lopez..........who??

About two weeks ago when in the library, I was trawling the journals and printed out a number of a articles and images that  interested me . Nicola Lopez was one of these.

At home reading the profile and being attracted to her techniques and subject matter I discovered that she works with Pace Prints in NY and decided to follow up. I found out that she has a show actually running in Pace at the present and this is the sort of work she is doing:

 

 

Sorry its such a poor image but it comes from Pace and perhaps they are not keen on having this copied as yet. Anyway you get the picture. There is nothing new under the sun and if you go back farther into her work she was doing gritty pipe-work -sound familiar?

 

Here is a clip of her talking about her latest work:

 

 

What particularly appealed to me was the fact that she was doing reduction woodblocks, but did you see that powered chisel ??!!

It'ld make you sick, and you trying to do something you thought just you had got hold of!- No, I jest, because I think her work is absolutely wonderful: anyway one is forced to think a little more as to how one would put one's own wrinkle on a subject which has been treated by others and I already have some ideas on this related to my revisitation of my past life and brushes with decay and rot.

 

 

 

 Lovely, isn't it? Saw some of that; but decay happens elsewhere too.

 

 

Here is the relation to steel and there is another correlation in that enamel and steel would be regarded as two of the hardest materials..............and even still they rot.

 

As Dave Lilburn said to me  - plenty of scope here.

 

A little study of contrasting surfaces to come.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Running on the Path

Oh yes, I promised I would be back quickly and here I am1

I was in Limerick yesterday for a number of reasons one of which had me meeting someone for coffee in LCGA(very good restaurant, btw). Needless to say while there I inspected the most recent shows one of which is a work in progress involving drawing and the school of architecture at UL.

 

I forgot until I looked at my pictures that there was another artist whose work snagged my notice because of my first semester project on 'Edge':

 

 

 

 

This work almost reads my mind on how I think about edge - I'd love to talk to him about his own concepts.

The other show really caught my attention:

 

 

 

The concept of mounting self-portraits by established artists and then showing how local artists reacted to these is a novel idea and produced some very interesting results:

 

 

 

I have just selected one or two selfs with the artists' responses and comments:

 

 

 

 

 

This one particularly interested me because of my friendship with Robert Ballagh:

 

 

Really to get the full effect of the video you need to hear the sound as well

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was a response  - an inked drypoint plate  - from Pamela Dunne  of Limerick Printmakers to Vera Klute's self - portrait which appears above as part of the front cover of the leaflet. It is a remarkable piece of work in its own right before any prints are drawn from it.

 

 

 

These are what make up the above.....

 

.....and are a response to a self-portrait on a purported euro note.

I really do recommend seeing this show.

 

My next visit was to Faber Studios to see Daniel Ryan's solo show:

 

 

Danny is from Thurles and he and his family are well - known to me and we share something else in that he is also and  ex-pupil of PJ O'Connell in Colaiste Mhuire in Thurles. I should also point out that he is a director of Faber Studios which will now fill a very important function as a very attractive  exhibition space, particularly with the demise of Raggle-Taggle.

 

His solo show is very impressive, particularly with the emphasis on drawing -which he tells me he is intent on developing.

 

 

detail of the above image

 

 

 

I really like the organic content of his work combining animal and plant images and in terms of technique the combination of drawing, painting and 3D.

Best of luck for the future with your studio practice and with the studio itself, Danny.

 

 

I finally paid a flying visit to school to pick up some books from the library and to sample the excitement of final assessments (good luck to all!) and preparations for Odyssey - the grad show - opening on Saturday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the touring path

On the road again

                                    (thank you, Canned Heat)

Have been investigating ways of building  my own basic screenprinter but in the meantime commissioned to do more basic carpentry -  putting up shelves in my daughter's house in Rathfarnam - she is far more impressed with that than with my printwork!
However, the plus was a visit to Marlay Park this morning..................................................................

Ok, nine hours of sleep seems to have improved matters somewhat! I just stopped last night and could not write any more - everything seemed to have evaporated; no enthusiasm - very unusual for me.

Anyway it is a bright, but cold, Sunday morning out there now and I am hopefully alive, alert, awake, enthusiastic !

...........I was in Marlay Park where there were people doing all sorts; running, choir practise, selling books art and food and just walking with their children - as were we.
My daughter took us to a part of the park where there is an enclosed garden and these are some of what we saw:

[Before I put up these pics I have to admit that it is now Monday evening  -  this post is certainly the slowest to finish - what happened was that just as I was about to upload the pictures the net connection folded - anyway I am home again and once more have a lot to catch up on so lets go first with these images from Marlay Park]




A great swathe of decids

 

He was very considerate in showing us both sides

Arrogance personified

 

On dirait la France

 

 

 

 

Where would you be going trying to compete with this stuff when it comes to art - you mustn't even try: you must produce what is you.

 

My daughter told me about a sculpture exhibition she had heard about on the Lyons Estate near Celbridge so that was where we headed next. This is a rather smooth hotel and restaurant complex on the estate beside the Royal Canal:

 

 

 

 

The exhibition was mounted by Solomon Galleries and was very extensive featuring many well-known  Irish artists. I will put up a range of pictures I took there including some maquettes for larger works:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 So as you can see an amazing array for a gallery show.

 

 

I will just add a little more local art to finish and I will be back tomorrow to tell of a very interesting visit to Limerick today  -  I just can't stay away!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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