Trasnú
Taispeántas Trasnú
Maria Simonds-Gooding & Cathal Ó Searcaigh
‘Sé atá in Trasnú ná mórthaispeántas tábhachtach á eagrú ag Ceardlann na gCroisbhealaí, ina bhfuil beirt d’ealaíontóir aitheanta na hÉireann .i. an file Cathal Ó Searcaigh agus an t-amharc-ealaíontóir Maria Simonds-Gooding ag comhoibriú ar mhaithe le ‘nuashaothar’ a fhorbairt. Baill d’Aosdána iad beirt - rannóg de chuid An Chomhairle Ealaíon - a thugann aitheantas dá baill as feabhas a n-ionchuir sna healaíona in Éirinn.
Tá Cathal Ó Searcaigh ar mhórfhilí na hÉireann, agus creideann sé go paiseanta i gcás agus i dtodhchaí na Gaeilge. Tá clú agus cáil air mar fhile comhaimseartha, chan amháin anseo sa bhaile ach ar bhonn idirnáisiúnta chomh maith. Is fada Cathal ag brú amach teorainneacha, téamaí agus féidearthachtaí na Gaeilge. Amharcann sé ar an teanga seo mar a bheadh abhann ann ... ritheann abhann léi, ach muna sileann go leor den uisce úr isteach inti, tráfaidh sí. Ní bréag a rá go bhfuil uiscí úra á ndoirteadh go rialta ag Cathal isteach in abhann na Gaeilge.
Ealaíontóir inniúil ár linne í Maria Simonds-Gooding a bhfuil aitheantas idirnáisiúnta bainte amach aici fosta, agus is sa Daingean i gCo Chiarraí atá sí ina cónaí agus ag obair. Tá saothair léi ar taispeáint i mbuanbhailiúchán Áras Nua-Ealaíne na hÉireann (an IMMA). Scrúdaíonn ealaín Maria an gaol atá idir an duine agus an talamh, agus is iad na meáin is rogha léi ná an clóbhualadh agus déantúis ollmhóra plástair. Tá a cur chuige ar leith féin forbartha aici, agus brúnn sí na réimsí a bhfuil glactha leo i dtaca leis ‘an phéinteáil’ agus ‘an clóbhualadh’ ón lár amach freisin. Is é an toradh atá ar í bheith ag dul go croíbhrí an ábhair ná na saothair rítharraingteacha seo, a bhfuil an teirce, ach fós an an áilleacht, ag baint leis na híomhánna iontu.
An príomhthéama a bheidh á chur i láthair ag Cathal ó Searcaigh agus ag Maria Simonds-Gooding ná an ‘trasnú. I ngach cheann de na réimsí ealaíne a chleachtaíonn an bheirt acu seo sáraíonn siad na teorainneacha agus briseann siad talamh nua, Cathal ó thaobh na Gaeilge de agus Maria ina cur i gcrích, agus seo anois iad ag tabhairt aghaidhe le chéile ar ghné úr eile.
Thar na blianta d’fhorbair Ceardlann na gCroisbhealaí bealaí le healaíontóirí ó réimsí éagsúla ealaíne a choimisiúnú agus a thabhairt le chéile fá choinne saothar comhoibrithe ar nós an tógra seo a chruthú. Tá rún daingean ag Ceardlann na gCroisbhealaí an rannpháirtíocht sna healaíona agus an fháil orthu a chothú, ach san am céanna is mian linn cur le saibhreas leanúntas chultúr na hÉireann. Agus muid i mbun oibre i gceantar Gaeltachta tá cur chuige comhoibríoch ar leith forbartha ag an tógra, rud a ligeann dúinn an cultúr Éireannach comhaimseartha a chur chun cinn ag an chaighdeán is airde, agus freisin thig linn é a léiriú mar ealaíon atá nuálach, dinimiciúil agus príomhshrutha.
Ag Trasnú Teorainneacha
Mar chuid den tionscnamh ‘Trasnú’ tá Ceardlann na gCroisbhealach ag cur I láthair siompóisiam náisiúnta. Breathnaínn an siompósiam se oar stádus Reatha na Gaeilge ó thaobh na n-ealaíon agus cultúir de agus ar a comhthéacs in Éirinn ilchultúrtha an lae inniú. Ta taispeántas de shaothar comhoibritheach darb ainm ‘Trasnú’ curtha le chéile ag an bhfile Cathal Ó Searcaigh agus Maria Simonds-Gooding mar chuid den imeacht. Ta aiste scríofa freisin ag cathal ar théama na healaíona agus an Ghaeilge, a spreagann an siompóisiam thíos.
Bhí seisiún an t-siompóisiam ar shiúl de Sathern an 6ú agus déDomhnaigh an 7ú Mollaig. Bhí sé ar shiúl in Ostán na Cuirte í nGaoth Dobhair.
I measc na gcainteoirí beidh:
Fintan O’Toole, Colm Tóibín, Mairín Níc Eoin, Gabriel Rosenstock, Pól Ó Muirí, Malcolm MacLean, Fiach Mac Conghail, Bizi Adigun, Liam Ó Cuinneagáin, Cathal Ó Searcaigh
Trasnú Exhibition
Maria Simonds-Gooding & Cathal Ó Searcaigh
“Trasnú” is the name of a prestigious exhibition being organized by Ceardlann na gCroisbhealach where two established artists from Ireland, poet Cathal Ó Searcaigh and visual artist Maria Simonds-Gooding, are collaborating to develop ‘new work’. Both artists are members of Aosdána, a branch of the Arts Council of Ireland, that credits its members for their outstanding contribution to the arts in Ireland.
Cathal Ó Searcaigh is one of Ireland’s leading poets and is passionate about the lifeblood of Irish language. He is a distinguished modern day poet, not only here, but also internationally. Cathal has long been regarded as pushing the boundaries and extending the breadth and use of Irish. He metaphorically compares the Irish language to that of a river…. a river flows, but if you stop pouring fresh water into it, it will dry up. It is fair to say that Cathal regularly pours in fresh water!
Maria Simonds-Gooding is an internationally accomplished contemporary artist living and working in Dingle, Co. Kerry. Some of her work can be seen in the permanent collection at the Irish Museum of Modern Art. Maria’s work examines mans relationship to the land and her mediums are printing and large scale plaster works. Maria has developed her own unique working practice and has pushed the limits of what we regard ‘painting’ and ‘printing’ to mean. These highly seductive works are the result of stripping the subject matter down to its pure essential, culminating to a stark, minimal but beautiful image.
The main theme that both Cathal Ó Searcaigh and Maria Simonds-Gooding will portray in this exhibition is “Crossing”. In each of their respective disciplines, both participants are ‘pushing the boundaries’, Cathal in the language and Maria in her practice and together they face another.
Commissioning collaborative work between artists from differing disciplines like this project is an approach Ceardlann na gCroisbhealach have developed over a number of years. The driving impulse of Ceardlann na gCroisbhealach is to nurture participation and accessibility to the arts and at the same time contribute to the continuum of the richness of Irish culture. Working from within a Gaeltacht region, the project has developed a unique collaborative working method that promotes quality contemporary Irish culture as innovative, dynamic and mainstream.
Trasnú Symposium
As part of the Trasnú project, Ceardlann na gCroisbhealach is presenting a national symposium. This symposium will look at the current status of the Irish language within the arts and culture and its future within the context of a contemporary multicultural Ireland. Poet Cathal Ó Searcaigh and artist Maria Simonds-Gooding have produced an exhibition of collaborative work entitled ‘Trasnú’ as p[art of the events. Cathal has produced an essay on the theme of Irish and the arts which informs this symposium.
The symposium sessions took place on Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th December. It took place at An Chúirt Hotel, Gweedore.