PJ's Path

Last Tuesday - June 4  - the Source gallery in Thurles had an opening and it was a retrospective of the work of painter PJ O' Connell, my old friend, teacher and mentor (without his motivation I would not be in LSAD now):

 

PJ has set up his studio in the Source and for the duration of his exhibition he will work there and talk to anybody who comes in and wishes to talk to him, about his work, about art or knowing PJ about anything at all.

 

Here are some images of what is there:

 

 

 

 

Earliest

 

 

 

Later  - PJ and artist Gavin Hogge from Limerick - They were classmates and friends in LSAD

 

 

 

Moving forward

 

 

 

Later still

 

 

 

Relatively recent

 

 

 

What is happening now

 

 

The studio occupies the centre of the gallery and has a lot of work in progress:

 

 

 

The opening had a very large attendance and was performed by Mike Fitzpatrick, Head of School in LSAD. He said that when he looked at the dates on PJs earliest work he could not believe that so much time had passed and in fact he didn't at first believe it when PJ said it to him........... vis-a-vis time...join the club!

 

It is a fascinating show not least in that here it is possible to see the evolution of and artistic vision and even I who have known PJ for such a long time was a bit stunned by the volume of his work - actually, I don't think he bothers with sleep.

 

Anyway if you are anywhere near Thurles in the next month do drop in have a look and a chat with PJ.