Solas Spréite - A Scattering of Light
Solas Spréite
Urraim do Ghaoth Dobhair
Tá an t-ealaíontóir Ian Gordon ina chónaí i nDún Lúiche le corradh agus 40 bliain agus, mar phéinteir bunaithe de radharcanna tíre, roghnaigh sé ceiliúradh a dhéanamhar a thimpeallacht áitiúil.Do Gordon, chuirfeadh dúthomhas an stráiche cósta seoatá faoi líon mór daoine agus de réir cosúlachta gan lárionad nó baile mór ar bith, le cultúr brodúil Gaeltachta agus é neadaithe istigh idir oileáin aguscnoic, chuirfeadh sé mearbhall ort.Ach tá a loighic fhéin ag an phatrún coilíneachta seo atá cruthaithe ag an ghrian, an fharraige agus an aimsir agus an gá atá le bheith ag saothrú talamh féaraigh ceannaithe. Tá áilleacht shuntasach aige seo a fhaigheann Gordon ina chuid ealaíona.Le linn tréimhse a mhair ocht mí thaiscéal sé na cúlbhealtaí fholaithe ar lorg na ‘radharcanna ar fheabhas’ ar mhaithe lena chanbhás agus péint a leagan amach, go dtí sa deireadh go dtáinig sé go cinniúnach ar Bhun na Leacafaoi Chnoc Fola, áit ó thuas ard nochtar fairsinge an talamh agus an fharraige agus nuair atá an ghrian íseal sa taobh ó dheas cuireann na céadta díon frithchaite agus siosarnach na gaoithe idir tú agus léas ciúnas tí ar leith i gcuimhne duit.
Fosta, tá ‘Solas Spréite’ ina théarma eolaíochta do speictream na ndathanna a dhéanann suas solas geal nuair atá siad sainmhínithe ag tonnfhad a shásaíonn an t-ealaíontóir.Mar dhathadóir, tá taithí fadsaoil ag Gordon ag cur dathanna in imeartas le chéile i sraitheanna agus, nuair a fheictear iad i bhfad uait, cumascann siad le chéile mar rud iomlán comhghreamaithe.Deir sé fostago gcuireann sé fiúntas anois leis na toin liath fhineáilte nár chiallaigh ach beagán dó ina óige ach a aithníonn agus a ghránn sé anois i solas agus i scáth tírdhreach Dhún na nGall.
Tá na saothair seo fíorghrástúil agus oilte ach ag an am céanna tá siad saothraithe go maith. Is ealaíontóir imfhiosach ‘en plein air’ é Gordon, rud a chiallaíonn go bpéinteálann sé go díreach ó shuíomh an radhairc, amuigh sna dúile – chan laistigh de shócúlacht agus de shábháilteacht an stiúideo. Ní cleas ar bith péinteáil En Plein Air do Gordon – ní hea, is é seo a ‘élan vital’, fuinneamh na beatha agus tá sé ag saothrú mar seo leis na cianta.Cuireann an modh péintéireachta seo ar chumas Gordon a bheith fuinniúil, bríomharagus ag gníomhú ‘i bhfaiteadh na súl’, gan am ar bith a fhágáil faoi choinne ‘slachtmhaireacht’ nó ‘sochracht’ sa dóigh go bhfaighidh muid freagra neamheagraithe láithreach bonn.Tá na saothair spleodracha déanta le scian phailéid bhríomhar agus marcanna scuaba agusúsáidtear réimse de dhaithanna boga. Tá an saothar ealaíona seo ina ómós oiriúnach dá cheantar áitiúil, ceiliúradh críochnaithe de sholas agus de dhath sa mhéid sin.
A Scattering of Light
Homage to Gaoth Dobhair
Artist Ian Gordon has been a resident of Dún Luiche for over 40 years and as an established landscape painter he has chosen to celebrate his local environs. To Gordon, the enigma of this densely populated coastal strip, apparently without an urban focus or centre, with proud gaeltacht culture, cradled by islands and hillsides, is bemusing. But the pattern of settlement has it's own logic created by sun, sea, and weather, and the neccessity of tilling hard won rocky pastures. This has a unique beauty which Gordon works to capture in his painting. Over the course of eight months he has explored the hidden byways searching for 'perfect views' to set up the canvas and paint, inevitably arriving at Brinlack under Cnoc Fola, where from high up, the expanse of land and sea is revealed, and when the sun is low in the south, hundreds of reflective roofs and silhouetted whisps of smoke tell of a particular domestic tranquility.
‘Scattering of Light’ is also a scientific term for the spectrum of colours that make up white light when they are defined by wavelength which appealls to the artist. As a colourist, Gordon has a lifetime of experience layering contrasting colours which, viewed from a distance, merge to a coherent whole. Also, he says, in maturity he has come to value the subtle tones of grey that meant little in youth, but which he recognises and loves in the light and shade of the Donegal landscape.
These are really elegent and accomplished works yet they are hard won. Gordon is an intuitive ‘en plein air’ artist, meaning he paints directly from the scenes location, outside in the elements – not back within the comfort and security of the studio. En Plein Air painting is no gimmick for Gordon – no, it is his ‘élan vital’, his vital force and he has been working like this for decades. This painting method allows Gordon to be dynamic, expressive and acting ‘in the moment’ allowing no time for ‘tyding up’ or ‘fixing’ so what we get is an immediate unedited response. The energetic paintings are made with vigorous palette knife and brush marks and make use of a soft range of colours. This body of work is a fitting homage to the artsists locality, an accomplished celebration of the light and colour therein.