Sliabh Gearr Opening at the Norman gallery

The Sliabh Gearr Granite Symposium opened at the Norman gallery on the Saturday 17th October 2009. It was a beautiful autumn afternoon and a good crowd attended. Jeremy opened the show and Niall Deacon also movingly talked about the conception and the workings of the symposium. Jeremy then led the crowd around all the work and gave a great talk about each piece and each artists also said a few words about their work.

The Artists posing!

Works by: Cliona Cussens, Niall Deacon, Eileen MacDonagh, Paul Haggins, Padraig McGoran, Martha Quinn, Bojana Krizacec, Emanuela Camacci and myself

More Photos on Symposia page. Thanks to Jeremy Hill for a great opening, the committee (padriag, Cliona and especially Niall)  for organising the symposium. And not forgetting Anne Deacon for feeding us so well during the symposium.

 

Sliabh Gearr Sculpture at the Norman Gallary

Following the successful Granite Sculpture Symposium in September all the work will be exhibited at the Norman Gallery at Rathnure, Co. Wexford during the Wexford Opera Festival. Exhibition Opens on Saturday 17th October 2009 at 3.00p. All Welcome.

Works by: Cliona Cussens, Niall Deacon, Eileen MacDonagh, Paul Haggins, Padraig McGoran, Martha Quinn, Bojana Krizacec, Emanuela Camacci and myself

For further details about the symposium see “Stone Sculpture Symposia page” of this blog.

 

Shamrock Plaza Carlow Commission

The Shamrock plaza is a new building which has replaced what was known as Doyles of the Shamrock hardware, located at the main cross roads of the Dublin/Kilkenny road and Tullow street.

Monaco Properties (who developed the new building) invited submissions for a work(s) of art for the space in front of the new building.  I submitted a proposal and to my surprize I’ve been shortlisted. 5 out 38 submissions were shortlisted.  I think there was alot more competition for this commission compared to the cherryorchard commission. So I’m very pleased with myself.

My proposed piece is paying homage to granite, its geology and how it has shaped the landscape of Carlow, its remarkable qualities as a building stone and to the people who won the stone from the county’s earth, either from small quarries or more commonly in Carlow, from large boulders strewn across the county. These granite boulders were cleaved (split) into rough regular shapes and dimensions by stone cleavers, the granite was dressed by stonecutters and the stone masons would undertake the building work.

The piece entitled “Cleaved” will essentially be composed of an imposing large granite boulder which has come from the fields of Carlow. The boulder will be cleaved (split) and marked with lines of holes, emanating light.

I now have to work out the details of the piece for the 2nd stage of the submission, which will keep me busy for the next few weeks.