LINDA COOGAN BYRNE

Hi folks, thanks a mill for taking the time to check out my website. It will be updated regularly with all my artistic endeavours. I suppose the big news is my upcoming show titled Fade, which is on in Dublin on July 6th and runs until the 12th in In-Spire Gallery in Dublin’s Northside.

Dino, the curator is an absolute gem and the gallery consists of two small open plan rooms set in a Georgian House just next to the bridge on Gardiner St. I chose the Northside as my Fathers side of the family, the Byrne’s, are from the Northside and one of my biggest inspirations was my late Grandfather Michael Byrne. An avid artist himself, he unfortunately never followed a path in art, although he could have, as his work was incredible. He also had a band when he was younger and played the bass, as did I, so I guess we had a lot in common with the art and music. But for his own reasons  and the times that were in it, he never fully realised any of his talents. This is me attempting to break the mould and following a dream, and thanks to him, maybe in spirit – parts of his will be realised too. I thought it fitting to have my first solo show as an ode to my roots.

The show is so important to me, for so many reasons, but mainly because it is my attempt at getting people to think about the food they eat, where it comes from and at what cost is pays to the environment and animals. The info is listed at the bottom of this post  if you want to read more about it.

I am signing off now from my first post, as to be frank, I am wrecked. Working all day and art all morning, time for some exercise and general late evening panic on the impending solo show. It is a strange emotional journey realising a lot of art pieces that have been in my head for years and putting it onto paper, canvas, wood and bronze. Not having my hand be able to do the things it used to be able to do (after breaking it twice) is even stranger but it has allowed me to have an open mind on how creativity can be expressed. I used to think what made a great artist was painting exactly what you see in front of you, in direct replication, but my photo-surreal days are well and truly behind me. In expressionism and abstract art, I feel more free, more able and spirited in my execution of idea to fruition. I hope you enjoy the pieces, I delved in deep back to my youth determining how I viewed the world around me mixed with how I see things in the present, so there is a childlike propensity to it.

Thanks for listening and hope to see some of you there at the opening show on July 6th!

::

Inspire Galerie invites you to the opening night reception of a solo exhibition of works by Irish artist Linda Coogan Byrne.

Fade | by Linda Coogan Byrne is a visual exploration of the isolation, despair, neglect and inevitable deterioration of animals and the environment at the hand of man. This series offers a glimpse into the fragmented lives and ecosystems that are a result of human greed within the failed agribusiness model that supplies the food industry and the entertainment and tourist industry which sees the mistreatment of animals and nature within human sport, visual entertainment, poaching/hunting and deforestation to name but a few.

In Fade | the deterioration of the subject matter is captured in the blurred, distorted way in which the pieces are finished. This is achieved through the use of vivid sharp and exaggerated strokes by using ethically sourced paintbrushes and found objects, such as ripped cardboard, ear buds & recycled wood, as the vehicle to drive the paint across canvas, wood and paper.

“There is a conscious movement happening right now around the globe, more and more people are moving away from animal based foods/products, along with negative energy sources and are consciously choosing a more compliant and economically friendly mode of living that benefits not just ourselves but our fellow earthlings and the environment. Through this series of Art pieces I will focus in on the well-known animals within the tourism, meat and entertainment industry. As well as places affected globally by climate change. I want to make the spectator think about the animal as a sentient being if nothing else, who is deserved of a more compassionate life at the hands of humans. I am asking the spectator to think about their role in the importance of looking after the world we live in, if even for a short period of time”.