 | The Waterfront Gallery | | Contemporary Art |
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Much anticipated show by artist, Ger Sweeney to feature in the Waterfront Gallery, Westport
The Waterfront Gallery, Westport is proud to present an exhibition of new work by Mayo artist, Ger Sweeney. The show, entitled ‘Fragments of Memory –Elements of Light ‘opens Saturday, 7 August at 7.00 pm and runs until 3 September 2010. Sean Walsh, Director of the Ballina Arts Centre will officially open this much-anticipated show. The exhibition marks the first anniversary of the new Waterfront Gallery under the management of gallery directors, Peter Brennan and Aisling Smyth.
Deeply philosophical, yet tangible and accessible, Ger Sweeney’s new body of work offers the viewer a contemplative experience. Working primarily on small square surfaces (24cm X24cm) for this show, the artist confidently presents engaging dialogues about contemporary painting through biographically suggestive narrative.
As suggested by the title of this exhibition, the work is reminiscent of the lived experience of the senses. For instance, sounds, feelings, or memories of a place or time, could be suggested in each piece, yet the freedom of the fragmented nature of the compositions allows for no concrete evaluations. It is as if the visual moments have been snapped from the realms of the subconscious, yet there is nothing ‘stilled’ about their physical embodiment. One has the feeling that the light is about to change or there will be a shimmering of texture as in the mystery and hope of musical suspension.
In such that Sweeney’s new paintings resonate with autonomous activity, the process in their making was controlled with similar disposition. The artist’s intention was to allow a certain freedom of dialogue between that which is occurring within the paint and that which is driving its making.
Commenting, Ger Sweeney said; “I engage the overall surface, “the field” or “shallow space” as an overall area of activity. Sometimes the original stimulus or idea disappears in the process of painting, making… new possibilities appear, the unexpected can become central to the finished piece. Ultimately I want the painting to be itself, be alive, engage the viewer’s own points of reference and perception.”
‘Fragments of memory –Elements of Light’ brings together a collection of ideas and new departures. Modest in scale, Sweeney’s paintings highlight the pivotal turning points, which encourage exciting moments in the making and viewing of art.
“We are very much looking forward to Ger Sweeney’s exhibition and delighted to be working with an artist of such caliber. We anticipate that there will be great interest in this show, as it provides art lovers with an excellent opportunity to see this new body of work by this highly acclaimed Mayo artist in Westport,” added Peter Brennan.
some Images of the work
For full biography and CV visit Ger Sweeney’s website
Note to Editor
Further planned Exhibitions include new work by Aisling Smyth to coincide with The Westport Arts Festival 2010 ,October Date TBA
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The Waterfront Gallery is proud to present
“Fragments of Memory – Elements of Light”
An Exhibition of new work by Ger Sweeney
The opening reception takes place on Saturday 7th August at 7pm
To be opened by Sean Walsh - Director,
Ballina Arts Centre
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ST.JOHN HENNESSY - ERRATICS
New work by St.John Hennessy at The Waterfront Gallery, The Quay, Westport
The Waterfront Gallery is proud to present ‘Erratics’, a collection of new work by Leitrim based artist, St.John Hennessy. The exhibition opens on Friday 11 June at 7.30p.m and will run until July 2.
About St. John Hennessy
St. John Hennessy worked as a commercial art director, graphic designer and model-maker before turning full-time to sculpture and fine art.
His work draws inspiration from nature and the sciences and his wide range of interests are reflected in work, which is often eclectic and employs a variety of materials and techniques. Elements of humour are regularly present in his work as is an emphasis on craft and finish.
He has had two solo exhibitions, Misc. Items at the Crow Gallery, Dublin (2007) and Anomaly at the Atrium, Council Offices, Carrick-on-Shannon (2003) having spent a year as the Artist in Residence at the Leitrim Sculpture Centre, Manorhamilton. Dublin Corporation, RTE, SMURFIT GROUP and other corporate clients have commissioned his work and he has exhibited in many group shows throughout Ireland including the RHA, Aer Rianta, Iontas and the Claremorris Open. His work is to be found in many private collections here and abroad.
He currently lives and works in County Leitrim.
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NIAMH MORAN - WATERGLASSES
New work by Niamh Moran at The Waterfront Gallery, The Quay, Westport
Opening 7th May 2010
The Waterfront Gallery is proud to present ‘Waterglasses’, a collection of new work by Niamh Moran.
The exhibition opens on Friday, May7th at 7pm and will run until May 28th.
About the work
Niamh Moran produces her imagery by combining printmaking with painting. In the body of work selected for ‘Waterglasses’, Moran uses the techniques of drypoint and collograph before applying acrylic paint. The process brings to life familiar characters and scenes by means of unique placement to reveal scenes of spatial and atmospheric intrigue. Moran’s work embodies the strength of a highly developed artistic practice without compromising the fun-loving nature innate to creativity.
“In my work I play with the notion of dreams and reality, blurring the boundaries. My characters
Can float and fly through their environments, and this forms a narrative in my work.” – Niamh Moran 2010
In the collection of work, which comprises ‘Waterglasses’ the narrative is predominantly concerned with the subject of swimming, Her passion for swimming and the lived experience of pool –life is evident in the work, which evokes a unique vision of layered activity and emotions.
Commenting, Aisling Smyth, director of the gallery said,’ A lot of the work has an under water feel, as if influence by what is seen through goggles, or should I say, Waterglasses. Niamh’s work is full of the joy of making art. The energy in its creation translates to the finished pieces. We welcome everyone l to come to see the work. The uplifting colour and rich line is bound to bring smiles to faces “.
About Niamh Moran
Born in Dublin in 1978, Niamh Moran now resides and works in Naas,Co.Kildare. She graduated with a BA (hons) Degree in Fine Art Printmaking from The Dublin Institute of Technology in 2001 and later with an M.Phil in the History of Irish Art in 2004. She also holds a diploma in Illustration for children’s books and has been a member of the Leinster Printmaking Association since 2001.Achievements include the award of ‘Most promising Emerging Artist’, Dunlavin Festival of The Arts in 2001 and she was selected as the First Artist in Residence, at the Riverbank Arts Centre, Newbridge Co. Kildare. Moran’s work has been selected for many prestigious exhibitions such as the RHA annual open submission on four occasions, as well as the Eigse Carlow Open where she was an invited artist in 2003.Moran has exhibited widely throughout the country in many group exhibitions as well as solo shows. Her work is much sought after by collectors and has been purchased in Adams Auctioneer’s Contemporary Irish Art Auction. Public collections include Dublin Institute of Technology, The Office Of Public works, The Revenue Commissioners, Fingal County Council, The Rotunda Hospital, VHI and The Irish Vintners Association.
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The Waterfront Gallery is proud to present ‘Home’, an exhibition of new paintings by Rachel Burke. The exhibition, opening on Saturday, March 20th at 7pm launches the gallery’s new calendar of events for 2010.
The collection of paintings for this, Burke’s sixth solo show, deals with ongoing themes in her work, which investigate the importance of ‘home’ and placement. Working mainly with acrylic inks on canvas, using dip pens and brushes, the artist builds up layered paintings of domestic imagery and local landscape. Placing significance on the importance of line, texture and the familiarity of pattern in the work, ideas of identity and nostalgia are explored within the context of ‘home’.
These paintings embody a sense of the fleeting of time. Confident draughtsmanship meet with a subtle palette of painterly intimacy creating images suggestive of the intangible realm of visual memory.
visit her website here
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Christmas Exhibition to feature New Work in Ceramic, by Artist Andrew Ludick
The show opens on Friday, 11 December at 7.30 pm and continues into the New Year.
Andrew Ludick graduated with a major in illustration from the Columbus College of Art ,Ohio in 2000. He has worked in many graphic arts fields, from editorial illustrator to mural painting, as well as fine arts painting. He is originally from the USA but has been a resident in Ireland for the past six years. During that time, he has pursued painting and drawing and has had several exhibitions of his work in Kilkenny and Dublin. For the past four years he has been focusing his craftsmanship on ceramics. This is his first Irish solo show, which focuses specifically on his work in ceramic.
Ludick hand builds his pieces using white earthenware clay, which are then decorated with coloured slips. He uses several hand building techniques to create a blank canvas to which he applies patterns and decoration before coating with a glossy clear glaze, thus ensuring that each piece is a unique work of art in both its shape and decoration.
There is a pleasing contrast between the unrefined hand-made object, and the execution of articulate design in the colourfully painted compositions in his work. Strong displays of form and line waver from abstraction to a more figurative language wherein a symbiotic relationship lies between. The vases, each one unique, elude to the movement of a figure, a dancer perhaps, from some exotic place, while also epitomizing at large, ideational evocations of the organic form. From his ‘Bean Pods’ to his ‘Fish’, the artist’s appreciation for the graphical in nature is ever present in his charming wall pieces.
Andrew's main influences are the arts and designs from indigenous cultures of Africa and the Americas, work by artists such as Paul Klee and Joan Miro and the music of Thelonious Monk and Eric Dolphy.
‘New work by Andrew Ludick’ completes the Waterfront Gallery’s Exhibition series for 2009. Commenting, Peter Brennan, Gallery Director, said: “We are delighted with the response we are getting so far in the gallery which we opened in July of this year. We sincerely thank everyone for their continued support. Andrew Ludick’s show was specifically chosen for the Christmas show, not only because it emanates joy and beauty, but also with prices from €40, his pieces make for very affordable gifts without compromising the standard of work accustomed to the gallery. In addition to Andrew's exhibition, we will also have a selection of original prints and paintings on display in the backroom by highly esteemed artists.”
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The Waterfront Gallery is proud to present our Christmas show of new work in ceramic by Andrew Ludick
Opening reception Friday December11th at 7.30pm - All welcome
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The Waterfront Gallery is proud to present
‘Singing Over The Bones’
Exhibition of new work by Catherine Barron
The opening reception takes place on Friday, November 13thth at 7.30pm
To be opened by Michael Ring TD
‘Singing Over The Bones’ runs until December 4th from 10-6 Monday to Friday or by appointment
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"This body of work is entitled ‘Singing Over the Bones’.
My work has always been image driven, images being the tools of communication, not just depictions of items.
The source materials for my latest body of work, ‘Singing Over the Bones’ are old family photographs. We all have them, they all have similar appearance – many are small and in black and white, out of focus, eyes shut against the sun, too much sky, dog rubbing, car bonnet and wall sitting, women is wide skirts, pinafores and ribbons, men in woollen waistcoats, flesh and bone, youth and beauty, in the full blaze of existence, caught in a moment, then forever afterwards dying away.
These paintings are not a portrait in the traditional sense – getting a likeness was not the priority. The photographs offered up little in the details needed for successful portraiture. This body of work offers up a portrait of me – who I am, who I am from, who belongs to me...
Acrylic ink has properties that became important to the development of the work. As a media new to me, it gave time for contemplation and discovery around the images. The photographs gave a strong tonal guide, and rendering the images in colour brought about a kind of resurrection. I started to experience smells, remembering the texture and colours of patterns, and bicycles and gates.
The ink does not blend well. Colours must be mixed, from sometimes up to six base colours, applied layer upon layer, eventually they begin to sink into one another. The more layers applied, the more surprising and intense the effect, increasing the visual depth and presence.
The ‘Ground’ used has a significant role to play, it represents, in plastic reality, the present. It is the ‘now’. I have allowed the ground to claw back at the images, to be gaps in memory, to hold only the parts of the images that seem to drift by over the surface. They are fragile and concrete at the same time, precise and vague, heart warming and heart breaking. They fill me with love, and they fill me with loneliness. Balancing the dualities is both challenging and satisfying.
I exercise complete control over my craft, I wrestle my medium into submission, and then, I let it go again. It is when you are out of control with the work that instinct takes over. You fling yourself at it until you find what you are looking for, you are singing over the bones, calling them back to life.
Searching for the heart of the matter, you don’t know what it looks like but you know it when you see it, when you hit the exact visual note that is humming inside of you. You know it when you see it."
-Catherine Barron.
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The Waterfront Gallery is pleased to present ‘Singing Over the Bones’, an exhibition of new paintings by Catherine Barron that will open at the gallery at the Quay, Westport on Friday 13 November 2009. The exhibition runs until 4 December 2009.
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opening night of westport arts festival exhibition - waterfront 09 - at the waterfront gallery
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Westport Gallery hosts exceptional group show to celebrate Westport Arts Festival
The Waterfront Gallery at the Quay in Westport is hosting its third exhibition since the new gallery space opened in July. The Gallery’s contribution to this years' Westport Art’s Festival comes in the form of a group show entitled ‘Waterfront 09’, which will be officially opened by Cllr. Michael Mc Laughlin on Saturday, 26 September at 8 p.m.
A highlight of the exhibition is a feature of work by Westport artist,Pamela Gray, that offers an insight into her creation of this year’s highly acclaimed Westport Arts Festival poster design.
“Commenting, Aisling Smyth, one of the Gallery Directors’ said: “We believe that the artists involved in this, our first group show, have provided us with exceptional pieces. We have a very exciting mix of art mediums represented”.
The Gallery Directors, both of whom are artists, will also be exhibiting their own new work in ‘Waterfront 09’. Peter Brennan’s, ‘In the Elements’ is a series of graphically rendered semi- abstract linocut prints and Aisling Smyth will present her new large-scale acrylic on board interiors, created in her studio at Brackloon.
Other featured artists in the show include Kilkenny based Catherine Barron, an artist equal in strength of skill and concept, Rachel Burke who engages with her environment in a beautifully personal manner, and Ross Stewart ‘s textural, mixed media paintings of semi abstracted landscapes. Rian Coughlan explores the relationship between drawing and painting, whilst Elizabeth Comerford’s outstanding figurative works display a unique kinship to pastels, creating an unprecedented style in this medium.
Many styles of printmaking will be exhibited. Maeve Coulter and Catriona Leahy show examples of collographs, Niamh Moran plays with a combination of screen-printing, drawing and painting. St.John Hennessy, influenced by his love for nature and science, will show his fascinating prints and sculptures of insects. Ruairi Carroll ‘s exquisite work in marble and Kilkenny limestone will share the floor with new work from the gallery’s most recent exhibitor, Cork artist, Tim Collins.
To complete the diversity in media, artist, Andrew Ludick offers a fresh and vivid approach to ceramic art.
Waterfront ’09 runs for a month. Open 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Mon-Fri or by appointment.
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Curated for the Westport Arts Festival 2009,’Waterfront 09’ presents contemporary art by fifteen invited artists based in Ireland.
Official Opening by
Cllr. Michael Mc Laughlin
on Saturday, 26th of September at 8pm.
The exhibition also features a body of work by Wesport’s Pamela Gray, which offers an insight into the creation of this year’s highly acclaimed Westport Arts Festival Poster design.
Waterfront ‘09 Sept 26 - Oct 24
Open 10 - 6 Mon - Fri or by appointment
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