Opening Reception Thursday 6 September at 6pm • Supported by Dublin City of Science 2012 • The Cube

Rachel Tynan is a Artist living and working in Dublin. She graduated from NCAD in 2009 with first class honours and was awarded ‘Student of The Year’, in acknowledgement of the highest grades across all faculties in NCAD. Since then she has continued her work as an Artist and Arts Educator. She is currently completing her Masters in Textile Design and also works with young people who have been excluded from mainstream education in the Life Centre, Dublin.

Tynan’s studio work depicts the interface between art and design, using the medium of textiles to explore scientific and medical themes. She examines the vulnerability of the human condition and the effect illness has on the human body. Elements of photographic imagery are layered with textiles and juxtaposed with fragile glass creating an intricate visual fragility. Currently her Masters research project ‘Cut Throat’ uses the analogy of the freedom of the bird as an axis for the investigation of the physical limitations of the human body.

A central theme of the work is the use of collaborative enquiry as a means of expanding the creative process, through dialogue and consultation with focus groups. This element is not primarily about creating finished pieces but takes the form of active research. It is pedagogical in nature, seeking to engage and to inform a variety of audiences in an attempt to give a fuller understanding of living with a long-term illness.