An Dóigh ina nOibrím - How I Work
An Dóigh ina nOibrím: Istigh i stiúideo an ealaíontóra
San am a chuaigh thart, d’fhóir ealaín go sneasta isteach i dtrí phríomhchatagóir: péinteáil, dealbhóireacht agus priontáil – tugaimid ‘disciplíní’ orthu sin. Anois sa 21ú céad, tá réimse níos leitheadaí disciplíní agus modhanna oibre ildisciplíneach againn a oireann i gcónaí don sainmhíniú ‘mínealaín’. Agus, ar scor ar bith, caidé an chiall atá le Mínealaín? Seo an rud a deir foclóir Collins: “amharc-ealaín a mheastar a bheith cruthaithe go bunúsach do chuspóirí aeistéitiúla agus atá measta ar á áilleacht, á bhrí agus á scil”. Chun an míniú seo a fhairsingiú, déarfainn go bhfuil úrmhaireacht ina fhachtóir tábhachtach nuair atáthar ag meas cáilíocht an tsaothair nó na hoibre. Tá sé i gceist agam le seo go bhfuil á ‘theanga físe’ féin forbartha ag an ealaíontóir; d’fhéadfaidh é seo a shainmhíniú mar stíl ach i ndáiríre ciallaíonn sé i bhfad níos mó ná sin. Creidim gurb é ciall anama, tuiscint nó comhartha ar leith an ealaíontóra atá ann agus nach bhfuil duine ar bith ach iad féin eolach air – agus nuair a léirítear é, sin an rud a dtugann muid á dteanga fhísiúil air. Tig le mórán againn tarraingt agus péinteáil a dhéanamh ach is é an rud a dhéanann ar leith muid ó mhínealaíontóir físe nua-aimseartha proifisiúnta ná láidreacht na teanga físe bunúsach sin.
Anseo, cuirtear i láthair trí ealaíontóir atá ina gcónaí agus ag obair ar chósta iarthair na hÉireann agus nach bhfuil a gcleachtas (an ‘dóigh’ ina n-oibríonn siad) dírithe go hiomlán ar phictiúir, prionta nó píosa dealbhóireachta a dhéanamh. Tig lena gcleachtas úsáid a bhaint as sás nua-aimseartha macasamhail teicneolaíocht nó as ‘stuif’ a aimsíonn siad nó soiléiriú a dhéanamh ar an rud atá siad a fheiceáil nó ag mothachtáil ó laistigh. Corr uair, déanann siad áiteanna nó spásanna ar a dtugtar ‘suiteálacha’ nó cruthaíonn siad nithe dealbhóireachta ó stuif éagsúil atá cruinnithe acu. Saothraíonn an triúr ealaíontóir go neamhspléach dá chéile agus ligeann an taispeántas seo dúinn, an lucht éisteachta/féachana, dul isteach sa spás príobháideach atá mar stiúideo acu chomh maith le sracfhéachaint a fháil ar spás pearsanta a samhlaíocht.
Is ealaíontóir Éireannach é Andrew Duggan atá lonnaithe i leithinis an Daingin i nGaeltacht iarthar Chiarraí. Rinne sé staidéar ar Chéim sa Mhínealaín sa Choláiste Náisiúnta Ealaíne i mBaile Átha Cliath agus chuaigh sé ar aghaidh ansin le Máistir sa Mhínealaín a fháil in Ollscoil Uladh. Cruthaíonn sé saothair agus suiteálacha lionsabhunaithe a dhéanann taiscéalaíocht ar an ghaol casta idir an duine féin, gnéasacht, áit agus déantán. Oibríonn sé den chuid is mó lasmuigh de chomhthéacsanna ealaíona traidisiúnta agus le cleachtóirí eile tarraingítear Duggan chuig spásnanna ina bhfuil macallaí sóisialta, stairiúla agus ailtireachta macasamhail cúirteanna liathróid láimhe, leachtanna chuimhneacháin cogaidh, uachtarlanna nach bhfuil in úsáid, réadmhaoin NAMA agus a leithéidí. Tá taispeántais tugtha ag Andrew go leitheadach, go náisiúnta agus go hidirnáisiúnta araon, agus bhí a shaothar agus a thograí ina bpáirt den iliomad cláracha idirnáisiúnta Culture Ireland.
Oibríonn Sarah Lewtas ag bun an Earagail i nDún Lúiche, Contae Dhún na nGall, áit a bhfuil sí ina cónaí le corradh agus 40 bliain. Is de bhunadh Sussex í, áit a ndearna sí staidéar ar mhínealaín ag an Choláiste Ealaíne agus Dearaidh in Eastbourne agus ina dhiaidh sin chuaigh sí go Londain áit a ndearna sí staidéar do B.A. i bpéintéireacht in St Martins. Le triocha bliain anuas, chuir sí barr feabhais ar a cleachtas leitheadach chun smaoineadh ar agus suiteálacha dealbhóireachta neamhghnách agus uallmhianacha a dhéanamh agus ag an am céanna leanúint ar aghaidh lena cleachtas líoníochta agus, ar na mallaibh, péinteáil phroifisiúnta luibheolaíochta. Tá taispeantais tugtha aici go leitheadach go náisiúnta agus go hidirnáisiúnta araon agus bhí sí rannpháirteach i gcuid mhór taispeántas idirnáisiúnta agus siompóisiamaí.
Cónaíonn Cathal MacFhionnghaile cuid den am ar mhórthír Dhún na nGall ach is de bhunadh Inis Bó Finne é agus mar sin de amharcann sé ar Inis Bó Finne mar a stiúideo agus an foinse dá inspreagadh cruthaitheach. Comhcheanglaíonn a mhodheolaíocht oidhreacht, béaloideas, dinnsheanchas agus grá dá theanga agus do phobal an oileáin. Tá saothar Chathail i gcomhréir leis an ‘dúchas’ – is dual dó é agus fosta tarraingníonn sé ar oidhreacht a oileáin, ársa agus nua-aimseartha ag an am céanna. Fuair Cathal a chéim sa Mhínealaín i Sligeach agus ina dhiaidh sin M.A. sa Mhínealaín in Ollscoil Uladh. I rith a chuid oideachais fhoirmeálta, choinnigh Cathal an grá dá bhaile agus dá dhaoine, custaim agus oidhreacht. Thug se taispeántais leitheadach ar fud na hÉireann agus ar na mallaibh chríochnaigh sé tréimse chónaitheachta trí bliana san Ionad Cultúrtha Réigiúnach i Leitir Ceanainn.
How I Work : Inside the artist’s studio
In times past art fitted neatly into three main categories; painting, sculpture and print – we call these ‘disciplines’. Now, in the 21st century, we have a wider range of disciplines and multidisciplinary ways of working that still fit into a 'fine art' definition. And what does Fine Art mean anyway? Collins dictionary says “a visual art considered to have been created primarily for aesthetic purposes and judged for its beauty, meaningfulness and skill”. To further expand on this definition I would add that originality is a powerful factor in judging the quality of a work or body of work. By this I mean an artist has developed their own ‘visual language’; this could be defined as a style but it is in fact much more than this. I believe it is an artist’s unique inner sense, vision or mark that only they are aware of – and when made manifest it is what we call their visual language. Many, many of us can draw and paint but what sets us apart from a professional contemporary visual fine artist is the strength of this original visual language.
Here we present 3 artists who live and work along the western coast of Ireland whose practices (meaning ‘how’ they work) are not solely about making a painting, a print or a piece of sculpture. Their practices can use contemporary mechanism such as technology or make use of ‘stuff’ they have found or to make manifest what they are seeing or feeling from within. They sometimes make rooms or spaces called ‘installations’ or construct sculptural objects made from a variety of stuff they have gathered. All 3 artists work differently from each other and this exhibition allows us, the audience or viewer, into the private space that is their studio as well as a glimpse into the personal space that is their imagination.
Andrew Duggan is an Irish artist based on the Dingle Peninsula in the West Kerry Gaeltacht. He studied for his Fine Art Degree in NCAD and went on to secure a MFA in University of Ulster. He creates lens based works and installations which explore the complex relationships between self, sexuality, place and artefact. Working predominantly outside traditional art contexts and with other practitioners Duggan is drawn to spaces for their social, historical and architectural resonance such as handball alleys, war memorials, disused creameries, NAMA properties and the like. Andrew has exhibited widely both nationally and internationally and his work and projects have been part of Culture Ireland's numerous international programmes.
Sarah Lewtas works at the foot of Errigal mountain in Dunlewey, County Donegal where she has lived for over 40 years. She is originally from Sussex where she studied fine art at Eastbourne College of Art and Design after which she then moved to London where she studied for a B.A. in painting at St Martins. Over the last three decades she has honed her broad practice to concieving and making extraordinary and ambitious sculptural installations whilst continuing with her ongoing drawing practice and more recently professional botanical painting. She has exhibited extensively both nationally and internationally and has been involved in numerous international exhibitions and symposia.
Cathal MacFhionnghaile lives partly on the mainland of Donegal but he is of Inis Bó Finne stock and so regards both his studio and the source of his creative inspiration as being Inis Bó Finne. His methodology combines heritage, folklore, dinnsheanchas and a love of his language and island community. Cathal’s work is attuned to ‘dúchas’ – it is both instinct and also draws on his island heritage; simultaneously ancient and modern. Cathal obtained his Fine Art degree in Sligo and then later his MAFA in University of Ulster. Throughout this formal education Cathal maintained a ‘gra’ for his home place and its people, customs and heritage. He has exhibited extensively throughout Ireland and recently completed a 3 year residency at The Regional Cultural Centre, Letterkenny.