By Bridget Flannery in Events
on September 30th, 2023
‘he couldn’t find a word that would explain their walks through the callaghs, following a path by the shallow stream that
led from the village to the shore of the lake, and stopping there on a tiny half-moon of shingle beach…’
Donal Ryan, The Queen of Dirt Island.
This series of paintings and drawings are in response to Donal Ryan’s words which opened up a way of exploring drawing, lines that echoed river traces, lines that hinted at shallow water, at land sheened by river light, at grass silvered by water which appeared and disappeared leaving only a trace, a hint of movement, a hint of growth, sodden by rain, dried by wind.
An exploration of colour and its application onto surfaces, flooding thin layers of paint over board with large brushes, letting the paint settle into crevices, hollows, letting the paint seep into collaged paper, while always keeping the softness of the callaghs in mind.
Looking/Seeing/Making/BOGLANDS is an exhibition of new work by Bridget Flannery which can be seen at The Arthouse Gallery, Stradbally, Co. Laois. The exhibition runs from 16 June to 28 July, Tuesday to Friday 1-4 or by appointment.
www.arthouse.ie 057 8664109
The work is in response to time spent walking, drawing, sketching, listening and learning about the midland bogs of Laois, Offaly and Tipperary. As ever, colour, shape, texture, weather changes, birdsong, windsong and the sense of an expansive landscape, often hidden, informs the work. Sketches made outside become the the basis for larger studio works which in turn question markmaking, tonal changes, shape observations as well as the unspoken and often intangible sense of being in these distinct landscapes best described by Seamus Heaney as ‘The bogholes might be Atlantic seepage. The wet centre is bottomless’ (Bogland for T.P. Flanagan. Door into the Dark 1969)
