Launch of Fade
It is a rather chill-laid-back-taking-it-easy Sunday back at the home stead. The week has been busy to say the least. On Thursday night the gallery opened up to the public and a lovely relaxed flow of visitors which included friends, family and new faces arrived intermittently creating the perfect viewing space at all times. The last thing I wanted was lots of people arriving to the gallery all at once, so it was my perfect scenario. The space of each room demanded freedom to experience and view the pieces in a certain flow.
I loved how children perceived the abstract paintings and then how they all followed the eyes of the animals in the ‘creature’ room. It was the highlight and delight of the show for me. I am not a person who gets nervous at events as I am so eager to see reactions and hear commentary. And to get it from children is such a hoot. What moved me to my core was how people reacted to my painting titled “Clouds that block the sun”. It was so personal to me and to see how many people felt the same pain and sadness yet sense of calm viewing it really meant the world to me.
“Clouds that block the sun”. Oil on Canvas (Sold)
Depicting Nature’s duality in touches of Blue.
*During the manifestation and preparation for this show, my paternal Grandfather and maternal Grandmother passed away. They did not go quietly, battling through illness and disease. It was a very poignant part of my life experiencing such harrowing pain on having to watch two paramount figures pass on. A certain calmness comes with grief, in waves or clouds that sometimes hang over us. The sun shining through in two parts is of no coincidence in this painting. Neither is the raised bold impasto of paint on the bottom right hand corner, worn like a scar.
Here are some snaps of the night, I would like to thank everyone who came and who also dropped in over the weekend. It is open until July 13th at In-Spire Gallery, Lower Gardiner St.
FADE: Information on the show and Artist Statement.
Hello, how are you> Thanks for popping by.
Below, I have outlined what FADE is all about in the Information sheet and Artist Statement. If you wish to find out more: simply come to the Gallery from July 6th between 6-9pm for the official public launch or else book a time to view the paintings any day up until July 13th at 12 midday. You can contact me direct or else book a viewing at the gallery via the curator Dino – see http://www.inspiregalerie.com/en/.
I will be present on the 6th however, to talk about the show and the process. I look forward to meeting some of you there, and of course, I hope some of the paintings and artwork resonate.
Thank you,
Linda
FADE | By Linda Coogan Byrne
FADE is a show that consists of two intertwining forces of nature: ‘Creature and Habitat’.
In ‘Habitat’, Linda attempts to extract the colours she sees in the creatures’ habitat, and remanifests them through an extraction and flow of energetic matter from one form to another. She explores the relationship of the subjects to each other within the space on the canvas. The determining factor is ‘feeling’ the paintings as opposed to just viewing them. Mixing ideologies of Suprematism and Abstract Expressionism, you are invited to experience the artwork in both an objective and non-objective manner, hence the two rooms: ‘Creature and Habitat’.
‘Creature’ offers a glimpse into the fragmented lives that exist solely for human benefit within the agribusiness model that supplies the food industry and the entertainment and tourist industry which sees the mistreatment of animals within human sport, visual entertainment, poaching and hunting. The pieces are painted with an almost childlike viewpoint at hand, highlighting their vulnerability and beauty from a position of innocence. 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, pallet knives, plastic objects and sponges as the vehicle to drive the paint across canvas, paper and wood.
In “Woman caught up in a wave of emotion”, the sculptural addition, the sentiment is how easily we can be overwhelmed by life and its intricacies. Linda’s main sources of influence are Suprematist artists Kasmir Malevich and Olga Rozanova along with colour field Abstract Expressionist artist Barnett Newmann and Mark Rothko. Akin to these artists, Linda believes that art should transcend subject matter and that the truth of shape and color should reign supreme over the image or narrative.
Artist Statement:
“There is a conscious movement happening right now around the globe, more and more people are moving away from animal based foods and products, and choosing a more compliant and economically friendly mode of living that benefits not just ourselves but our fellow earthlings and the environment.
Throughout the exhibition, I focus in on the well-known animals within the tourism, meat and entertainment industry and their habitat. I want to make the viewer think about the animal as a sentient being who is deserved of a more compassionate life at the hands of humans. I want to remind him and her of the beauty within Mother Nature.
I broke my right hand twice throughout the process of creating this exhibition and had to wait nearly a year to recover, so I ended up working with my left hand and then, when I healed, my right hand again. It has been an ambidextrous endeavour and one that altered the way I create art. Drawing and painting with my left hand offered me the freedom to go back to an almost childlike sensibility towards the creation process. I had to dig deeper than I have ever done to find out what exactly I was trying to portray in the pieces. Instead of relying so heavily on techniques to make the paintings look realistic, it provoked a more sincere and genuine aspect within in me as to how I would go about conveying the message. It was no longer about wanting something to look a certain way but to feel a certain way; experiencing the artwork along with viewing it.
I reach out and ask you to think about the world around you and how easily it can ‘fade’ away if we do not understand how to be more respectful, ethical and aware of our environment and how the food we eat affects It”.
– Linda Coogan Byrne