Brown Thomas, Art and Style

May-June 2012

Art meets fashion as Brown Thomas is taken over by the works of 36 contemporary Irish artists at stores in Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway.  This thoughtfully curated exhibition brings together a broad collection of original work representing mediums such as print, painting, installation, video, sound and sculpture.

http://www.brownthomas.com/whats-on/art-style 

I think I had to wish to make this last

My window installation is inspired by the role of the archaeologist, investigator and digger.  It explores thoughts on the 'pilgrim' or 'traveler' taking what could be notes of discoveries from a traveler's journal and bringing them to life. 

 

Window finale!!

Close-up from inside

Close-up

Window finale with outfit!

Open Art at Killenure Castle, Co. Tipperary,

Exhibtion runs until the end of June

 



Artist-in-Residence at Killenure Castle, April-May 2012
Above: The Lost Boys, (work in progress) insatllation



Killenure Castle™ will open its gates to the public for the first time, on May 1st 2012. Only a 'stone's throw' from Co Tipperary's Rock of Cashel, visit this castle and Georgian courtyard and discover an eclectic mix of architecture. The spaces within have had many different uses over the years - a fortified home with sturdy towers, a 'hunting box', a country house for a large family, a busy productive farm with stables and coach house, a boarding school and even a meditation centre.

 In May and June it is hosting a contemporary art exhibition in the Georgian outbuildings and sculpture garden around the grounds.  Over thirty artists have been invited to make and site work in the castle grounds. The work is sensitively placed in areas chosen by the artists who visited the castle in advance of submitting their proposals.

Admission to OAK €5 (concession €3), children €2.00 Family ticket is available for €12 (2 adults, 3 children).

The outdoor trail will take approx one hour. Please bring wellies with you.

Open 10.30am – 2.30pm. Last entry for trail Walk 1.30pm


 OAK Participating Artists
Saturio Alonzo, Steven Aylin, Jackie Ball, Aoife Barrett who will be working on site during the following dates in May. Tues 1, Wed 2, Mon 7, Tues 8, Tues 15, Mon 21, Tues 22, Sat 26, Sun 27, Mon 28 and Tues 29. Cormac Boydell, Mary Butler, Lian Callaghan, John Cash, Andrea Cleary, Eamon Colman, Mona Croom Carroll, Remco de Fouw, Aisling Ely, Abdul Ghofur/Epona Artwork, Inga Hamilton, Richard Healy, Sonja Landweer, Andrew Ludick, Padraig McGoran, Liz Nilsson, Niall O Neill, Pauline O’Connell, Geraldine O’Neill, Tony O’Malley, David Quinn, Philip Quinn, Paul Roche, Caroline Schofield, Una Sealy, Beatice Stewart, Gwen Wilkinson.



http://killenure.com/oak-open-art-killenure/

HOUSES IN THE WOODS (The Lost Boys) 

For this exhibition I created an architectural installation of more than 10 distinct raised houses; 3D wooden structures combining to form a Favela or shantytown.  Each “house” varies in size with the larger ones measuring up to 8ft tall. This is a large representation of my degree show piece Favela. With the help of carpenter, Sean Lowe, these structures were built on site during the month of April.  I will further develop the installation on site over the course of the exhibition allowing interaction and communication with the public.

The piece investigates abstract concepts of the mysterious place of sanctuary and survival, and a person’s need for shelter and protection.  It also looks at the notion of the “pilgrim” or “traveller”, exploring the concept and ethos of those who went into unexplored territory in search of a new life. 

This is a socially engaged project, encouraging public participation in order to break down barriers between artist and audience.  It is built on a large scale to create something with a real presence above being purely functional as a venue or shelter.  The viewer must move through the installation and view it from every angle to really experience it. 

I'd like to thank Dundrum Sawmills for their generous sponsorship of materials for this project. 

Artist-in-Residence at Killenure Castle (April-May)

 The work in progress on site! 

 

The work station!!

The first frames

Waiting to be moved!

Placing the structures around the wooded area

Placing the structures around the wooded area

Remain In Light, South Tipperary Arts Centre, 2012

Exhibtion Work, 5th April- 12th May, 2012

South Tipperary Arts Center, overall view of exhibition

South Tipperary Arts Center, overall view of exhibition

South Tipperary Arts Centre, overall view of exhibition

Neolithic Houses!, series of 6 etchings, 39x 31cm each (unframed) (2012)

(left) What Remains Hidden, (right) Houses in Motion, etching, relief and monoprint, 90x71cm each (unframed) (2012)

Aisling Ely

Aisling Ely

Aisling Ely

Aisling Ely

I'm Going Out For The Day, photo riston on gampi, 31x25cm (unframed) (2012)

Pilgrim's Progress, mixed media (2012)

Key Pieces, mixed media, (2012)

The Day I Went Out Wandering II, photo riston on gampi, (2012)

The Day I Went Out Wandering II, photo riston on gampi, (2012)

The Day I Went Out Wandering II, photo riston on gampi, (2012)

Aisling Ely

Remain In Light- Exhibition Opening

On Thursday 5^th April, the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Jimmy Deenihan opened an art exhibiton entitled ‘Remain in Light’ in Tipperary Town’s Excel Gallery.  The exhibition is a collaboration of work by two local artists; Aoife Barrett from Cashel and Aisling Ely from Thurles.  Both artists graduated with honours degrees from the Fine Art department in Limerick School of Art and Design in 2010. 

The opening night of the exhibition went very well, with Minister Deenihan inviting both artists to speak to the audience about their work.  This allowed the audience to gain an insight into the art on display which generated a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere to the show.  The exhibited work contains a variety of materials and mediums resulting in a vibrant show including prints, paintings and installation work.

The exhibition was well received with plenty of refreshments available and purchases being made.  Both artists wish to thank all the staff of The Tipperary Excel Gallery as well as their family and friends and also a special thanks to Minister Deenihan.

‘Remain in Light’ runs from 5^th April- 12^th May 2012 and can be seen at Tipperary Excel Gallery, Mitchell Street, Tipperary Town. The gallery opening hours are Mon-Sat 10am-5pm and Sunday 2pm-5pm.

Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Jimmy Deenihan TD

Me and the Minister!

Me, Minister, Aisling

Family and Minister!

One big bottle of wine- thanks Alan!

REMAIN IN LIGHT An exhibition of new work by Aoife Barrett and Aisling Ely

Tipperary Excel Gallery

5th April- 12th May

Opened on Thursday 5th April at 8pm by Jimmy Deenihan TD, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

Left: Aisling Ely, oil painting, Right: Aoife Barrett, 3D installation

Aoife Barrett graduated with a BA Honors Degree in Fine Art Printmaking from Limerick School of Art and Design (2010).  She also holds a BA Honours Degree in Archaeology from the University College of Cork (2006).

As a practicing artist she has exhibited extensively throughout Ireland. She recently exhibited in a solo show, Lost and Found, Backwater Artists Studio, Cork (2011) as well as exhibiting in a number of group shows including A4 Printmakers, The Poly Arts Centre, Cornwall (2011), The Woman Factor, The Back Loft, Dublin (2011), Impressions, Galway Arts Centre (2010), The RDS Student Art Awards, Dublin (2010) and Limerick Printmakers Print Exhibition (2010).

Awards received include South Tipperary Emerging Artist Award (2011), Arts Council Travel and Training Award (2011), Cork Printmakers Twelve Month Bursary Award (2010), Fine Art Travel Bursary, Horwath Bastow Charleton, Limerick (2010), RDS Printmaking Award (shared)

(2010).

My art practice is inspired by the role of the archaeologist, investigator and digger, exploring the concept of objects as a container and symbol for our actions, experiences and memories. The purpose of my work is to explore and make sense of the material world and built environment created by humans and express this in a visual manner. Recent bodies of work such as ‘House In Motion’ and ‘As I walked through the wilderness of this world…’ have focused on an exploration of thoughts about the ‘pilgrim’ or ‘traveller’.  The tent is used as a metaphor to express abstract concepts of the mysterious place of sanctuary and survival; the ship a symbol of pilgrimage, salvation of the soul and sanctuary.

Aisling Ely graduated with a BA Honors Degree in Fine Art Painting  from Limerick School of Art and Design (2010).  She also holds a Higher Diploma in Art for Art and Design Teachers from Limerick School of Art and Design (2011).

As a practicing artist she has exhibited in a number of shows in her locality including rhe Thurles Arts Festival and Cashel Arts Festival. 

Aisling was awarded  the Revenue Commissioners’ Award for excellence shown during B.A. (Honours) Degree in Fine Art Painting.

The process of making work is important to my practice.  I am interested in texture and layering; I create these different textures by using materials such as sand, resin, varnish, wax, glass and manipulated photographs together with oil paint and painting mediums.  This creates juxtaposition between image and surface.  My work is inspired by many different elements such as memory; perceived, forgotten and imagined as well as nature and light.  My work also plays on the concept of printed memories, how in a digital era we print many of our images on home printers, I bring a sense of this to my work through painting faded lines through some of my pieces which are similar to the lines that appear in many printed images.The scenes depicted are forgotten spaces, a lost dream-like world veiled by a layer of wax.  The wax keeps this place at a distance from the viewer, a personal space, yet this veil also allows the image to become universal, relatable to the viewer.