Limerick City Gallery of Art (LCGA) is delighted to announce the forthcoming solo exhibition by Limerick born artist, Vivienne Bogan.  The exhibition, Spontaneous Self, is the first major institutional show by the artist in LCGA. Bogan is a graduate of LSAD and has had an illustrious career with work in several public and private collections nationally and internationally.

The title for the exhibition, Spontaneous Self, is taken from an essay by D.H. Lawrence, “Fantasia of the Unconscious”.  In the essay, he argues that within all of us, the “spontaneous self” secretly yearns for the liberation and fulfillment of our deepest and most powerful sensual self.  Bogan interprets it as encompassing a broader desire to experience freedom within oneself.  She continues that it involves recognizing her current state of being and responding without the constraints of inabilities, precision or respect for proportions.  It is, she says, “about making as clear visual expression of who I am at that moment.

Many artists are asked why they make art – painting pictures, making paper and crafting visual images – the answer for Bogan is always simple: “there is nothing else in the world that I would rather be doing.  This practice fulfils a deep-rooted need to express myself visually and it shapes and gives purpose to my life in a way that nothing else can”.

Bogan talks of the terror induced by going into the studio but how it can also be thrilling.  She talks of this process as akin to a journey.  On entering the studio and making the first mark, the journey of exploration and discovery begins.  Bogan also quotes German artist, Anselm Kiefer, that “the artist is a storyteller, weaving narratives through their works and inviting others to immerse themselves in them”.  Bogan asserts that in a world blighted with social, economic and climate crises it is important to create and share stories that present beauty, truth, authenticity and fun.

This exhibition features a collection of works created over the past 25 years, along with much newer paintings from the last eighteen months.  These works span various themes and media, including watercolours, acrylics, pastels and found objects on handmade paper, prints and large-scale works on cotton.  Bogan explores the natural world from vast skies trees and bare stones.  The human body and portrait painting are also represented.

A fully illustrated catalogue will accompany this exhibition and published at the end of October.