sternstudio.at
“Thinking-in-movement”
An exhibition of the new body of work by painter Eamon Colman.
Opening: Friday, 24th February 2017, 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Duration: February 24, 2017 - March 26, 2017
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Throughout art history, the horizon line in landscape painting has been explored traditionally, delineating the sky from the land, adding perspective and depth onto a two dimensional substrate. Whilst this representation is translated in paint, and from three dimensions to two dimensions, it is but an illusion. The theme running through this new body of work encompasses my fascination with the horizon line and my interest in how this can be reimagined through different modes of seeing and experiencing nature.
My interest grows out of a grounded observation having lived in and lived with the land (1000 ft. above sea level) in the uplands of northeast Co. Kilkenny for the past 13 years. My day-to-day research utilizes walking as a research tool, so whilst I am traversing across the land on foot I am also looking down on the surrounding area, both near and far. This vantage point enables great distances to be surveyed, extending the vanishing point on clear days to include five counties, and on foggy days the point at which one cannot see beyond is a mere 10 ft. The act of walking and looking is peppered with a desire for a ‘at oneness’ with nature, a slowing down to be ‘with’ and learn with nature rather than learn about it.
This is the springboard from which I have explored how the viewer’s eye can be drawn into the picture plane. Expanding the notion of how a three dimensional ‘walked’ experience is translated and reimagined onto a two dimensional picture plane. I have creatively researched this through the use of what I call double vision - ‘looking across’ as the reflective aspect of remembering the journey/walk/ place whilst ‘looking down’ opens up the embodied experience -the textures, colours and ‘mood’ of what’s underfoot.
Walking slowly is not a measure or matter of speed, it creates a space for hesitation which produces new modes of relating. The pace at which I walk asks questions about what might happen if we could learn with the world, rather than about it. Thinking-in-movement infers that we become open to stimuli we cannot fully represent. This then fuels my imagination and is translated through paint - colour, shape, line and composition.
Eamon Colman was born in Dublin 1957. He is an elected member of Aosdána since 2007 in recognition of his major contribution to Irish culture. His professional career spans from 1979, having created over thirty-six solo exhibitions nationally and Internationally. Most notably he was invited to host a retrospective of his work ‘Panorama: A Review’ at The Strule Arts Center, Omagh 2013; ‘Monument’ Stern Studio Gallery, Vienna 2011; ‘Before the dark gets stronger than the light’ Rua Red, South Dublin Arts Center, Tallaght, 2010; ‘Remnant’ The Cecille R. Hunt Gallery, St. Louis, USA, 2008; ‘Salt River’ The Oriel Queens Hall Gallery, Wales 2010 & 2006; ‘Breath of the River’ Galleri Caernarfon Cyf, Wales 2007. A major mid term exhibition of his work “Post Cards Home” was held at The R.H.A. Dublin in 1996 accompanied by a Monograph by Brian McAvera, "Dreams From The Lions Head, The Work of Eamon Colman" by Four Fields Press. He exhibited on a bi-annual basis in the Rubicon Gallery, Dublin from 1990 to 2003 and since 2004 at his representative gallery; Hillsboro Fine Art, Parnell Square, Dublin 1. A 25-year retrospective of his work is featured in Profile 25 – Eamon Colman (Gandon Editions, Kinsale).
His work can be viewed on: www.eamoncolman.com
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