Storylines

Saturday 25 June – Sunday 14 August 2016
Gordon Farrell: Cicero, 2013 | Storylines | Saturday 25 June – Sunday 14 August 2016 | Luan Gallery

Luan Gallery is delighted to announce the launch of its summer 2016 exhibition entitled Storylines. Featuring the works of 4 contemporary Irish artists, Storylines will showcase the works of painter Gordon Farrell; stained glass artist Peadar Lamb; and graphic art and design duo James and Michael Fitzgerald – The Project Twins.

Looking at narratives in art, Storylines presents an array of artworks with varying levels of storytelling and translation.

Aedín McGinn, Curator states:

‘Traditionally, stained glass and painting have always been closely associated with storytelling – evolved to communicate narratives of religion, patronage, and power while in today’s digital era the use of graphic icons have invaded written language with logos, emoticons and emojis forming a whole new wordless tongue.

The Storylines exhibition highlights the diverse ways in which these four artists engage narrative through the mediums of painting, stained glass and graphic art.

Juxtaposing traditional methods with contemporary themes and vice versa, Storylines examines the effectiveness of translating narrative through visual means.’

The paintings presented by Longford artist Gordon Farrell are inspired from the stories contained in the Lebor Gabála Érenn (The Book of the Taking of Ireland), a loose collection of poems and prose narratives recounting the mythical origins and history of the Irish from the creation of the world down to the Middle Ages.

Cork based artist Peadar Lamb’s stained glass works use hand-made glass and a variety of techniques, some of which have changed little since the 11th century, such as acid etching, painting and staining to create contemporary unique pieces.

The Project Twins’ use of minimal forms and bold shapes are rooted in the visual language of graphic design and semiotics. The Cork based pair are interested in the use of a universal language and its ability to convey ideas, information and narratives.

From illustrative painting and conceptual design to minimal geometric symbolism, Storylines examines the communicative power of visual art in a modern era.


Gordon Farrell graduated from Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design & Technology, Dublin in 1998. Since then he has exhibited frequently in group & solo exhibitions in Ireland & abroad. Gordon lives & works in Longford, Ireland.

This exhibition is inspired from the stories contained in the Lebor Gabála Érenn (The Book of the Taking of Ireland) and one image from the life of Cicero. Lebor Gabala Erenn is a loose collection of poems and prose narratives recounting the mythical origins and history of the Irish from the creation of the world down to the Middle Ages. “The Wooing of Étaín/ Éadaoin”, is an early text of the Irish Mythological Cycle and is partly set in Ardaghhill, Longford. It tells of the lives and loves of Étaín, a beautiful mortal woman of the Ulaid, and her involvement with Midir of the Tuatha Dé Danann who lived in thesidh of BríLéith (Ardagh Hill, Longford)

Marcus Tullius Cicero 106 BC –43 BC was a Roman philosopher, politician, lawyer, orator, political theorist, consul, and constitutionalist. He came from a wealthy municipal family of the Roman equestrian order, and was one of Rome’s greatest orators and prose stylists. His influence on the Latin language was so immense that the subsequent history of prose in not only Latin but European languages up to the 19th century was said to be either a reaction against or a return to his style.

Having studied at the National College of Art and Design, Peadar Lamb continued to postgraduate level in the UK, followed by an extensive period of travel, study and work throughout Europe, Scandinavia and India. In 2009, he completed a one-hundred-square-foot stained glass window across the façade of the Irish Repertory Theatre in Manhattan, New York. Lamb has been awarded many public art commissions including: Dublin Zoo (2008); National Maritime Museum (2010); Waterford Regional Hospital (2012); Mater Hospital (2013); and most recently a major new work for Carlow County Museum (2016).

In March 2015, Lamb suffered a catastrophic fire, resulting in the loss of his studio and all its contents. He now works from Sample-Studios (where he is a member of the Board of Directors) and the National Sculpture Factory, Cork.

Working predominately in the medium of stained glass for over twenty-five years, Peadar Lamb’s practice also encompasses print and sculpture. The large architectural pieces and light boxes he creates incorporate traditional materials and techniques which have changed little for centuries. These works are contemporary autonomous pieces, yet they maintain a concern for tradition of technique. The physical and tangible contact with the material has always been essential to him. Line, form and light in particular, informs the work. The structure and line can be integral to the composition, creating a depth and tension in many pieces. While he works in a two-dimensional medium, the process of building incorporates a sculptural mindset.

The Project Twins are James and Michael Fitzgerald, a Cork based art and design duo. They both received a BA (Hons) in Visual Communication from CIT CCAD 2005. They work across a broad range of disciplines including illustration, design, print-making, painting and three- dimensional work.

Humour, irony and wit pervade their work while bold and playful graphics explore ideas of absurdity, identity and the mundane. Recognisable and simple shapes are used to build their own lexicon which act as signs or posters that appear to directly communicate while also retaining a sense of ambiguity, allowing interpretation and inquiry. They work together through a process of dialogue and sketching, continually reducing forms to their most basic elements. Their work presents various dualities between the serious and the ridiculous, the melancholic and the joyful

Image: Gordon Farrell: Cicero, 2013
Saturday 25 June – Sunday 14 August 2016
Luan Gallery
Athlone, Co. Westmeath
Telephone: +353 9064 42154
info@luangallery.ie
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Opening hours / start times:
Tuesday 11:00 - 17:00
Wednesday 11:00 - 17:00
Thursday 11:00 - 17:00
Friday 11:00 - 17:00
Saturday 11:00 - 17:00
Sunday 12:00 - 17:00
Admission / price: Free

 
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