Luan Gallery is delighted to announce its summer exhibition Re-imagine featuring photographic images and video projections by artists Martina Cleary, Jo Kimmins and Breda Burns.

Re-imagine is a photography and installation-based exhibition that illustrates the growth of technology within the arts. Each of the three exhibiting artists has a unique artistic vocabulary that is brought together in this exhibition. The audience is invited to Re-imagine the world around and enjoy the new perspectives and interesting visual stories which emerge by spending time observing and understanding the work, ourselves and our interaction with places and people. Luan Gallery’s Cultural Assistant Emma King says;

“Re-imagine introduces its audience to a new way of experiencing a photography exhibition as the artists go beyond the traditional photographic prints by portraying their documentations through video installations, video projection mapping, 3D scanning, 3D imagery, photographic prints on Foamex and transparent photographs on vinyl‘s. Martina, Jo and Breda use their practice to educate us on ritualistic neo-pagan beliefs, the movement of the ocean, the decomposition of a decaying whale and the surprising beauty that can be found in unexpected places.”

Breda Burn`s site-specific work, Counterflow brings the waves of the west coast to Luan’s River gallery. By dividing an image of an ocean wave into vertical stripes on semi-opaque vinyl and placing these on the windows overlooking the River Shannon, a layered work emerges that sets up a back and forth exchange between the dynamic sea and the flowing River Shannon. Breda explores the boundaries and the spaces that exist between the sea, sky and land.

Artist Breda Burns says, “Luan Gallery presents a perfect site in which to explore this core element of water … its transparency.”

Martina Cleary’s work, Ritual Dream of the Shaman visualises the re-enactment of an ancient Celtic shamanic ritual. This dream journey transforms Luan’s New Gallery space into an immersive experience. Her work is a collaborative dynamic between the art of visual storytelling and technology.

Artist Martina Clearly explains, “This new cycle of work draws upon ancient Irish sources and more recent neo-pagan beliefs, to explore the human search for reconnection to the natural world.”

Jo Kimmin’s large-scale photographs document the decomposition of a stranded whale over a five-month period. Focusing on the decaying flesh and blubber rather than the totality of the whale, she creates images that are lyrical and abstract by finding the beauty in the beast. The transformation of the decaying sinews, skin and blubber are reminiscent to planetary landscape, illustrating a poetic harmony between life and death.

Artist Jo Kimmins tells us, “The whale came into my life and gave me an endlessly changing canvas to photograph. I became impervious to the smell, and instead found great beauty in the cadaver. On each visit she never failed to show me something new and my camera gave me the power to solicit the transformation of this ever-changing object.”