It’s been a strange few months – perhaps the strangest myself and most have encountered. Along with the vast majority (on the planet perhaps!), our places of work are off limits, our ability to meet, travel and have gatherings has been completely curtailed.
There are I’m sure, artists who will thrive in this atmosphere – where there will be no unexpected, or indeed expected visitors or phone-calls, or outside activities and jobs demanding their attention. Unfortunately, that’s not the case for the majority I have talked to, no more than for myself. An unclouded mind I find the most conducive to creativity, and this current uncertainty and lock-down most certainly isn’t relaxing.
Still-Life goes on though, as in the above painting I began a few weeks before everything wound down. It’s an oil painting from life in the new studio space I moved into last January in Wickham St., with a bit more to do to finish.
It is more in the vein of an ‘Interiorscape’ I guess than a Still-Life. As the title suggests, I am using a donated surface from my very good friend and Contact Studios Alumnus Hugh (Hugo) Mc Mahon, which adds a bit of ‘character’ to the piece. It depicts whatever happened to be in the corner of the studio the day I started. I do hope to finish it very soon.
With everything up in the air these days, we are unclear on the how’s or when’s of Gallery Interlude as it stands. The world will be a different place when all this finishes, but that does not change or alter the need for our message, and the need for promoting local arts and indeed business.
If anything, we will have to redouble our efforts, and think even further outside the box.
‘Change, this is a restless Earth’ I heard someone say on an Ali G USAii show, and there is no doubt about it.
I don’t particularly relish it, but myself and the Gallery Interlude Team, and indeed our friends, artists and partners, will certainly do our best to rise to the new situation.
Go mbeirimíd beo ar an am seo arís agus slán!