Friday, October 12, 2012

Alice Maher

Yesterday I was lucky enough to go on a college trip to Dublin to see Alice Maher's exhibition, 'Becomming,' at IMMA.
Her work was wonderful. Dreamy and macarbe all rolled into one, nature twisted with the human form, the primitive and the complex. Her work, without sounded big headed, was very much like my own. She reminds me alot of Kiki Smith, but since they are the same age they would not have been influenced by each other, they are peers not mentors. But it is interesting to see the cross-over that imerged, I imagine on some subconscious level. Her stop-motion videos were amazing, well worth a look. I wish I could of stuck around a bit longer, but there was other galleries to be seen none of which held work as immpresive as hers.
The only other gallery that stuck out for me was the Douglas Hyde Gallery, which was showing, 'The Paradise,' by Fergus Feehily, which was an istallation about light and darkness; and especially about luminosity, and Nina Canell's 'Tendrils,' which can be described as a kind of modern alchemy, as much of it is about transformation and a search for deeper, more unified, beauty.
These were complex yet simple exhibitions that were quiet and lovely.
We also saw Callum Innes, 'Unforseen,' in the Kerlin Gallery. A series of block paintings. A theme that has become stale. Only Mark Rothko and maybe a small hanful of others have ever been able to take this theme to a higher level, in my opnion at least.
 Below are some photos from the exhibitions...
'The Four Directions' by Alice Maher
Snail Shells (This was the only piece that I could take a photo of the rest are from her site)


'Cell' by Alice Maher
brambles and wire

'Berry Dress' by Alice Maher
Cotton, Rosehips and pins


'Ombres' by Alice Maher 1997
Aseries of three images in charcoal.


 
Impulse Slight (detail) By Nina Cadell
2011
Watermelon seeds, wood, glass, copper wire

No comments:

Post a Comment