Download - Occupy Paper Issue Two
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ISSUE 2
CCUPY
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OccupySpaceis one of Limericks newest exhibition
paces, located on Thomas street. It has been set up toacilitate an ever expanding need for artistic exhibition
paces in Limerick. It is an artist led project, run by members
of Wickham Street Studios on a voluntary basis. Occupypace is committed to delivering a relentlessly energetic
programme of exhibitions and events.
Our intention is that this space will be a central axis for auge variety of creative people to experiment and present
heir work. The organization encourages openness andaccessibility to artists and the visiting public alike, and
aims to provide an open solid platform for the visual arts.
Our program involves hosting exhibitions of emerging andestablished artists, with a strong emphasis on exhibiting
hose based in Limerick. OccupySpace also hosts otherartist led projects such as artists talks, seminars and
collaborative events with other creative practitioners andorganizations.
his new visual art journal is intended to expand on the
exhibitions and events happening in the gallery as wellas provide a platform for critique and dialogue between
emerging and established artists in Limerick and beyond.Artists, critical writers and other art practitioners are invited
o submit to the journal and engage with it as a means of
esting, experimenting, developing and expanding on newdeas and concepts.
Submissions
Occupy paper is a freeonline journal published
monthly or bi-monthly.We are actively looking
for contributors to writearticles, essays, and reviews.Occupy paper accepts
all submissions related tocontemporary art practice
from painting and printto sculpture, video and
beyond.If you would liketo be included in the focus
section please send a CV,5-10 images and a short
statement about your work.
All submissions should besent by email to :
Occupy Paper is a new onlinepublication for contemporary art,which will run alongside the visual artprogramme in place in Occupy Space.
InterviewGareth Jenkins 16
Talks about his practice and recent MA in the National College of Artand Design
Beth Fox 24
Talks about her practice and new exhibtion
ReviewDana Schutz 28
Deirdre Kelly reviews Schutzs new show at The Douglas Hyde Gallery
CONTENTS
In the GalleryIslandMary Noonan and Damien OConnell 04
Talk about their new joint exhibtion in Occupy Space
FocusLaura McMorrow 32
Member of Wickham Street Studios, Limerick
CCUPY
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In the GalleryIslandMary Noonan and Damien OConnell
Occupy Space presents Island, an exhibtion of work byMary Noonan and Damien OConnell. Both artists explore
the concept of the island as a closed space. Much like awaiting room or prison cell, the island is conceived as a
dual space of innite limitation and potential. The island isa place we long to escape or seek refuge.
The show previewed Thursday 1st of July 7-9pm and ran until 17th July
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Island Mary Noonan andDamien OConnell tellOccupy Paper about theirrespective practices andtheir new joint exhibtionin Occupy Space
OP Tell us a bit about yourcademic background,
id you have anynuential tutors or peers?
OC I did my BA in
merick School of Artnd Design and my MA
n Central St Martins in
ondon.
MN I did a diploma inne Art in DLIADT in
000; in 2001 I returnedo college and spent
wo years in the NCADainting department
raduating with a BA in
003. I recently nishedtwo-year Master in
ne Art (MFA) in NCADhrough the painting
epartment again, thatwas in 2009. The most
nuential tutors I hadwere Robert Armstrong,
usan Mac William andarah Durcan. During
my masters I was lucky
nough to have Susans my personal tutor
n the rst year andarah in the second.
Both were great tutors with
very different approaches,which I think brought out the
best in me. Susan was veryencouraging and always
helping me to push thework further. Sarah asked
the tough questions andreally helped me to focus
my practise. The Masters
was the best thing I could
have done for my work. Ifound it very challenging and
extremely worthwhile. I spentthe two years focusing solely
on the development of mywork, trying to nd my own
personal standpoint as anartist.Farmers Daughter,
mixed media,Mary Noonan 2010
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armers Daughter(close-up),mixed media, Mary Noonan010
So lthy spuds
could grow in hisears..., watercolour,watercolourpencil, pencil andgold marker ontorn paper, MaryNoonan 2010
What kind of themes and
cerns are explored in your
tice?
use my research intoore and superstition to form
basis/foundation for my. There is a strong sense of
ative to most of the workthese narratives are often
open and are not clearly
ned in the nished piece.rpret stories I research
ellish and change themugh the process of making
artwork. In a sense I am
creating my own world
in my work, using researchand personal memory and
experience. My upbringing on
a farm in county Mayo informsthe work a lot. There is a strong
element of the surreal and oftenthe pieces are quite sinister.
Id like to think that the work isa sort of an amalgam of the
real world along with anotherimaginary parallel world. Much
of my research relates to fairy-
faith and stories about thefairies. For example what drew
me to the fairly common story
of the changeling was how
multi-layered and imaginativeit was, but also how it was a
way for people to explain and
understand things like diseaseand mental illness at a time
when professional medicaladvice was unavailable to the
majority. These stories for meare a very imaginative way of
explaining the unexplainable. Alot of the sources I look at were
written in the late nineteenth
and early twentieth centuryfrom the perspective of the
Anglo-Irish, with people like
Douglas Hyde and LadySperenza Wilde giving great
accounts of folklore. I aminterested in how myth and
superstition have informedhow Irishness is viewed
and interpreted and howit has added to what is an
element of our nationalstereotype.
DOC One thread that
runs throughout my work
is absurdity. What Camus(when discussing the work
of Kafka) describes as an
indescribable universe inwhich man allows himself
the tormenting luxury ofshing in a bathtub, knowing
nothing will come of it.I think that could sum up
the broad scope of mypractice, intertextuality,
incongruity, failure andlaughter.
OP Your work seems to
be divided into drawing/
painting and sculpture,which part is more important
or stronger in your practice?
MN I love both. I treat thesculptures almost as if they
are 3D paintings, and havea very tactile approach to
the 2D work. I often cut andtear the paper, with this I
am trying to give a sense ofthe psychological aspects
of what is going on in thework. By doing a violence
to the paper I am in effectleaving a physical residue
and visual evidence of that
trauma. I dont think thatone element of my practice
is more important or stronger
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Scotoma 1, watercolour &pencil on paper, DamienOConnell 2010
the sculpturesare curious,liminal objectswhile the
drawings serveto fold andunfold the elusivenarrative
Sucking on a lemon,watercolour, watercolourpencil, pencil& pencil oncut and torn paper
han the other I like being
iverse and working in a
umber of different ways.
OC For me, there is nouch hierarchy. I will use
whatever method or means
kely to accomplish my endsnd this will often expandeyond drawing/painting
nd sculpture. With much
f my work, including Island,he sculptures are curious,
minal objects while therawings serve to fold and
nfold the elusive narrative.oth elements perform
eparate but relatedunctions, so the work might
e encountered as a seriesf fractured connections,
which amount to an open-
nded model of thought.
OP Where does your
imagery originate?
DOC On a supercial level,
the imagery I use could beperceived as solipsistic or
hermetic and perhaps on
some level these imagesare a reection of an innerworld. However, it is not
my intention to create
something overtly esotericor private. Instead, I want
to recover some kind ofcritical vitality by arousing
wonder and curiosity, or, likeGide, I want to know who
will deliver our minds fromthe heavy chains of logic.
So, to answer the question,the images emerge from
tangible but disparate
sources, such as, books, art
(historical & contemporary),
lm, newspapers,
and so on. Through recurringelements, such as the
chair, I intend to exploit theburdensome symbolism
of the object. Through its
omnipresence in my work,the chair becomes anunwitting provocateur: it is
an accepted totality within
the miniature tableau but abewildering conundrum for
the viewer. This is the tensionI am interested in, between
wonder, confusion andfailure.
MN My visual research is
broad and includes sourcessuch as painters from the
Northern Renaissance, Lucas
Cranach the Elder, Pieter
Breugal and HieronymusBosch to contemporary
artists Verne Dawson, Dana
Schutz and Ellen Gallagher.I am also very interested
in illuminated manuscripts.I am happy to take
inspiration from wherever Ican and often the literary
sources I look at suggestimagery or trigger memories.
I keep a notebook with me
at all times and jot downideas when I have them. I
visit galleries a lot and amquite nerdy taking notes as I
go along.
OP How do you tend towork, what can you tell
us about your process in
general?DOC I collect fragments
of image/text from
various sources andattempt to construct a
vocabulary/narrative by
looking for connections orcombinations that might
lead towards a divergentor an incongruous situation.
In a practical sense thisamounts to an ongoing
process of reading,underlining, looking, writing,
drawing and making. These
elements then collide in aconstructed mise-en-scene.
MN I have already
mentioned tearing andcutting the paper. I work
on a number of pieces atthe same time, sometimes
nishing a piece fairlyquickly but more often than
not working on something,
leaving it and then returning
to it at a later stage. I
nd I need to have a fewthings on the go at the
same time. The sculpture/installation Farmers
Daughter that I showed atOccupy Space took a long
time to evolve. I had thecot in my studio for about
two years. I tried severalthings with it that just didnt
work, eventually the idea of
having a landscape almostspewing itself out of the
cot emerged. I was hopingto give a sense of having
been born into somethingthe land in my case, and
how ones environment andancestry or sense of place
inuences someone froman early age. The fact that
the land is made from very
unreal materials such as
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sula, sculpture,amien OConnell 2010
Monument to Lent after Breugel, sculpture, Damien OConnell 2010
he scenics used for modelailways was important
o me also, I felt that thefakeness of the materials
might suggest to the viewer detached or removed
iew of the land and lean
owards issues surroundingtereotype and identity. I
wanted there to be a strongense of narrative as the
iewer worked their wayround the piece. I wanted
here to be that same sensef navigation in the large
watercolours. I often dontave a very set plan for my
work but rather start with a
eneral idea and throughworking with the materials
allow for them to somewhatsuggest the eventual
outcome of the work. I try asmuch as I can to push the
materials as far as I can. As Imentioned already my little
notebook is very important
to me. I jot down noteson artworks and ideas for
artworks. Generally thesenotes could be expressions
that I heard growing up,quotes from books or visual
diagrams of ideas forfuture work.
OP Are there any artists out
there that you really admire
and maybeinuence you?
DOC There are manyartists whose work I am
continually drawn to, MarkManders, Fischli & Weiss,
Julian Rosefeldt, Paul Thekand Bas Jan Ader, to name
a few. Samuel Beckett and
Flann OBrien have had atleast an equal impact, for
the transgressive laughterthat resonates through their
work.
MN Yes of course, the ones Ihave mentioned already as
well as many others. I try toexpose myself to as much
art as I can without getting
overwhelmed! Ideas cancome from the unlikeliest
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one way of
describing the
exhibition is that I
observe the island
from a detached
distance whereas
Mary has a
more immediate
presence, in other
words, she isonshore while I am
adrift!
nd a great tumult came from theround..., mixed media,
Mary Noonan 2010
ew Wonder Cure,mixed media,
ary Noonan 2010Deus Ex Cathadra and Precipice,
sculpture, Damien OConnell 2010
places sometimes, so I try to
be open.
OP How did you nd
exhibiting in Occupy Space?What did you think of the
similarities between yourwork?
DOC It was an interesting
space to negotiate andsometimes had quite a
transformative effect on the
installation. The dark room feltespecially cavernous, given
the miniature nature of mywork, placing the small
Monument to Frugality piecein this solemn concrete
mausoleum created a furtherdisruption of scale and
expectation. Beyond thesurface similarities in our work,
it was interesting to uncover
the more subtle thematicconnections, such as our
separate approaches tobelief systems. I think one way
of describing the exhibitionis that I observe the island
from a detached distancewhereas Mary has a more
immediate presence, in otherwords, she is onshore while I
am adrift!
MN I was really happy to
exhibit in Occupy Space, Ithink the space itself is great
with a lot of scope to workwith. Personally it was a great
chance for me to show someof my bigger pieces. Working
with Damien was very
enjoyable, although we hadnever actually met before,
running up to the show wekept in good contact via
e-mail, so I felt we had beenacquainted already. The
whole process was verydemocratic between us, the
installation was discussedand mulled over and we
got on very well. It was avery pleasant experience
working with Damien.
OP What are your plans for
the future?Any upcomingexhibitions?
DOC My next solo show willbe Monument with PallasContemporary Projects in
Dublin as part of their artist
initiated summer program.I have also been working
closely with the curatorialgroup Tall Tales in London,
and have upcoming groupexhibitions in Bearspace
and The Elevator Gallery,London.
MN Yeah, Im showingve watercolours in COE
2010 in my hometown ofClaremorris in September,
so looking forward to that.
Also I was selected toexhibit in a three-personshow with Peter Burns and
Anne Hendrick by Patrick
Murphy at the RoscommonArts Centre in late 2011. I
am working toward a soloexhibition in the Linenhall Art
Centre, which is in 2011 aswell, so Ill be busy working
away in my studio at theRed Stables.
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AF Hi Gareth, so tell us abit about your academic
background, where youdid your degree and your
Masters, did you have anynuential tutors or peers?
GJ My interest in a career
as an artist began later
han most, in fact it cameat a time when I was a full
ime chef working abroadn New Zealand. Being in
a new environment anddifferent culture gave
me the opportunity todiversify my creative skills
rom cooking to paintingand sculpture. In 1998
enrolled on a full time
one year diploma courseat a local art college
called The LearningConnexion in Wellington,
New Zealand. Thecourse gave me a basic
practical understandingof artistic techniques and
methodologies. After ayear my visa ran out and I
eturned to Ireland where
continued as a chef forhree years but I was intent
Gareth JenkinsInterview
Gareth talks to Aoife Flynnabout his practice andupcoming exhibtions
My interest in a career as an artist began laterthan most
on pursuing my interest inart (especially painting)
further. With no portfolio orany secondary education to
speak of my only option was
to return to education as amature student at the local
Further Education Centrein Abbeyleix, Co. Laois in
2003. After successfullycompleting the Fetac level
5 Arts, Craft and Designcourse, I submitted my
portfolio to a handful of Art
institutions around Irelandand was lucky enough to be
accepted at the LimerickSchool of Art and Design.
After completing my four
year BA Honours in Fine ArtPainting in 2008, I moved
to The National College ofArt and Design in Dublin
where I recently nisheda two year Master of Fine
Art post-graduate degreein research by practice
through painting.
The courses themselvesalthough very insightful and
useful on so many differentlevels were only as good as
the students and staff that
breathed life into them.I met many tutors and
peers whose advice andencouragement helped
shape my current practiceand whom I shall always
hold in high regard and toname them all would require
a sequel to this publication.
DSC 0014 - Acrylic on board - 30cm x 33cm. 2010
Installation View 2010.
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AF What kind of themes
nd concerns are exploredn your practice? How did
hey change from yourachelors to your Masters?
GJ The paintings I producere to a degree intuitive,
y which I mean I starttraight in to painting
without any back uprawings or sketches. Over
he past couple of years Iave taken and collected
undreds of photographsf architectural structures
nd spaces from the urban
andscape that I use toeference the linear and
harp edged forms andtructures inherent in my
work. One of the main
concerns in my practice atthe moment that came out
of my time on the Masterscourse at NCAD is my
interest in the painting as
object. To put it another wayI am interested in treating
the application of paintas a constructing process,
building up different layersand thicknesses of sharp
edged marks. In a similarway I am also experimenting
with constructing physical3-D structures that are
referential of painting as the
constructed object. Lookingback on my practice at
bachelor level my themeshave changed in the way
I am not so concerned
with referencing an area oridea directly. For example
my work at the momentis not linked directly to
architecture or urban
landscapes; it is more thatthe concept is born out of
fragmented memories ofarchitectural forms. Over
the last two years I have alsogained more condence
in decision making withregard to exhibiting my
work, i.e. what to hang andhow much work to show,
whereas at my Bachelor
exhibition I felt I hadexhibited too much work.
the concepts born out offragmented
memories ofarchitecturalforms
AF I remember your work had a strong technology
theme when we did our degree course, did this carryon into your Masters?
GJ Technology as a theme didnt carry over directly
but there are some recurring elements and motifs
that resurfaced through the research process. Thereare concepts of geometric forms and a use of sharp
edged line, but instead of using those to relate directlyto in this case a technological object; I now use them
to create illusions of space and structure.
DSC 0001 - Acrylic onboard - 2ft x 2ft. 2010
Installation View 2010.
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my process isntuitive, it canmove in differentdirectionsdepending onwhat I am tryingo do
AF What about your process
in general? How do youwork?
GJ As I mentioned previously
my process is intuitive. It canmove in different directions
depending on what I amtrying to do. In some cases,
especially in my currentbody of work if I am dealing
with sculptural concepts as
well as a painting process,I will begin by looking at
or taking photographsof interesting forms or
structures. Then I will start tomake a variety of models/
sculptures out of what islying around the studio, this
usually takes the form ofcardboard or wood and
again will be very abstract
and intuitive in nature.At any given moment I
might begin to lay downa variety of forms or linear
marks using acrylic paint onboard and a masking tape
that will usually referencefragments of the models or
photographs so in this sense
the process is quite organic.
The colour of paint usuallycomes from a photographof a particular structure
but can change or belayered over quite rapidly.
My choice of acrylic paintover oil paint came out of
a sheer lack of patience.Accustomed to oil paints at
Bachelor level, I carried on
with them into my Masterscourse but they were too
messy so I had to changemy process and materials
to acrylic in order to speed
up the process and to allowme to create a tighter
line. Canvas had to beexchanged for MDF board
as well, because I needed
a sturdier ground to painton which also allowed me
the ability to sand the paintoff if I was dissatised at any
point.
AF Are there any artists out
there that you really admireand maybe inuence you?
GJ There are artists I admire
and there are also artiststhat inuence me. Any
artists that are out thereworking away at the
moment even though theyare struggling to survive
nancially would be an artistthat I admire. There are
plenty of artists and writers
I have befriended alongthe way whom I keep in
touch with that are ndingit tough and I respect them
for their convictions. As for
artists that have inuencedme I would have to say
out of the many, TommaAbts, Frank Nitsche, Thomas
Schiebitz, Thomas Nozkowskiand Richard Tuttle. All these
artists have inuencedmy practice in that I have
found interesting links
between their processesand my own, whether itis similar application of
paint or use of materials
or their outlook on art andthe contemporary world in
general.
AF You went straight fromyour degree into your
Masters, looking back nowwould you have preferred
some space from the
whole academic aspect ofcollege or was it important
DSC 0012 - Acrylic on board - 21cm x 21cm. 2010
SC 0010 - Acrylic on board - 2ft x 4ft. 2010
DSC 0002 - Acrylic on board - 2ft x 2ft. 2010
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going straight into theMasters for me was apositive step
or you to keep this up, to
eep the momentum going?
J Going straight from my
achelors in LSAD to theaster of Fine Art course
NCAD was not an easyecision at the time. I was
ght in the middle of thereaded thesis, trying to
et to grips with the nal
erm of practical work anderesa (my wife) and I were
xpecting our rst baby. Weoth decided I should apply
nd if it was meant to be Iould get on to the Masters
t NCAD. After the interviewwas sure I had blown it and
was already making plansor life after the Bachelors.
nyway I received a letteraying otherwise and I
arted the course in NCAD
bout two weeks aftereresa gave birth to baby
aomi, timing is everything
I guess.There were a lot of
moments on the Mastersthat I regretted being there;
I had notions of making the
wrong decision usually whenmy practice seemed to be
stagnating. In retrospectwith the nature of my
practice feeling unresolved,at the time of nishing the
Bachelors, I now believe
that going straight intothe Masters for me was apositive step that I now do
not regret. For other artists
it could be a different storyand I think it depends on the
individuals needs at thattime. I would recommend
most Bachelors studentstake a few years out to get
to grips with their practice ina real world scenario before
taking the next step towards
a Masters, as some peoplewill never need to do the
course.
AF Is being able to work
alongside other artistsimportant to developing
your practice after college?
GJ Again it depends on theindividual, some artists prefer
to be alone and othersneed the constant stimulus
of fellow artists for their workto ourish. Personally I am
quite happy to work on my
own but it is also useful andsometimes important to beable to be in contact with
other artists and friends from
time to time. I usually emailor phone friends once or
twice a month for a chatand even arrange to meet
up at events like galleryopen nights. Sometimes I
arrange to meet up withfriends to visit exhibitions
once a month to keep up
with trends in contemporaryart, an important part of any
artists practice.
AF You have a studio space
near your home, what are
your plans for it?GJ Living in a small town
does have its advantagessometimes with regard to
studio space. For the pasttwo years I have been very
lucky in that I was given afree space in an old closed
down primary school which
is within walking distancefrom home. There are nosigns of it being reopened
at the moment so I am safe
there for the foreseeablefuture.
AF Has the recession
affected your practice atall?
GJ Having only just left
education after six years
I am not in a position tosay anything concrete
about the recession and
my practice personally.
There are artists out therethat are still having sold out
exhibitions, and there are
still grants and bursariesavailable. However it does
go without saying thatwhen there is less money
available most people aregoing to see purchasing
any form of art as a luxury
and not a necessity, but fornow anyway it seems thereare still some opportunities
out there. Whether they are
there next year or the yearafter we will have to wait
and see.
AF What are your plans forthe future?Any upcoming
exhibitions?
GJ At the moment I am
working towards a groupexhibition in September
with a collective known as
prettyvacanT who put on
exhibitions in disused spacesaround Dublin. In October
I will be exhibiting as part
of the Table of Contentsproject at the Limerick
School of Art and Designand in November I have my
rst Solo show in the NAGat the Cross Gallery, Francis
Street in Dublin, so short term
I am pretty busy. Next yearand the foreseeable futureI am not sure, I will continue
with my practice and apply
to future projects andexhibitions. If I was given
the choice I would jump atthe opportunity to become
a tutor at a third levelcollege of Art while also
continuing with my practiceas I am always interested in
continuous discourse with
students and artists alike.
DSC 0005Acrylic onboard
29cm x 33cm2010
SC 0003 - Acrylic on board - 29cm x 33cm. 2010
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Recent graduate of Limerick School of Artand Design talks to Occupy Paper abouther practice and new exhibition
Beth Fox
My main area of researchsurrounds how and why artists
use humour in their work. This
is a subject that Ihave beenstudying for the best part of
two years. My own practicedoesnt really follow any one
particular line of enquiry, itsmore a series of reactions to
whatever is happening tome in my life. In that way my
practice is similar to a sense of
humour. I am concerned withthemes of originality, value and
the whole notion of being anartist and art-making, but of
course, thats really the onlything I can make work about,
as thats the only thing Ivebeen thinking about for the
last four years. Its like whenyoure writing an essay in
secondary school, they tell you
write about what you know.Basically I make work about
trying to make original work. Iam also very interested in the
thin line between payinghomage and ripping off.
I often use humour as acommunicative device in my
work, sometimes it is subtle,
other times it more overt.
My work is very reactionary.I can go for months without
having an idea, thensomething might happen, or Ill
read something or have aconversation and than Ill
have AN IDEA, Im sure thatsthe same for everyone. A lot
of the time the artists that I
am researching will have ahuge inuence on the way Im
working. I can look back at myportfolio and see what artists I
was reading about at the
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me that I made a speciciece. That used to worry
me, but now I think its okay,
m all for acknowledgingnuence, embracingnoriginality. I was worried
hat I didnt make a lot of
work until I read this lovelynterview with Christian
oltanski, he said A lot ofhe time I dont do anything,
ust watch TV, then I haven idea but usually it only
akes veminutes to make.hen I go back to watching
V. That sort of sums it up
eally.
The idea of the degreeshow work stemmed
from the system that is
currently in place in thesculpture department visa vis The Degree Show.
We are all told to write
a proposal for our Showthree months before the
actual event in order tolay claim to a suitable
space in the gallery. Dueto my own practice being
quite interchangeableandreactionary I had no idea
what I would be making
three months down the line,and I hated the idea of
having to write one proposalas a sort of culmination of
four years study, and have
to stick to it. I couldntdecide which one ideato stick with. I ended up
writing loads of proposals.
I wrote proposals for workthat I had made in the
past, proposals for ideasthat had died along the
way, proposals for workthat I would like to make
but could never afford, andproposals for other artists
work, that I appropriated.
Then I just decided to stickthe proposals up on the
wall. I liked the fact that theviewer would have to try
to visualise all this work that
wasnt there. In a way it waslike a really minute form ofinstitutional critique. As well
as being very economic.
Gavin Turk is obviously an
artist that I really admire, hiswork is funny but more than
that. His work is all aboutvalue and authorship, which
is obviously something thatI am also really interested
in. I remade his plaque for
my Degree Show. I liked theidea that something that
was made for a show in
the Royal College back inthe 90s was being remade
in Limerick twenty years
down the line. I also loveStutervant as well, sinceshes all about copying.The
artists that she chooses to
copy are what make herso interesting though I think,
often she replacates anartists work before theyve
even become established.Other artists that I love and
have ripped off are FelixGonzalez Torres, Sarah
Lucas, Douglas Gordon,
David Shrigley, GillianWearing...Lots of the YBAs...
(not so Y anymore!)
Im currently living inBrighton working and
trying to save money as
Im starting the MA in FineArt in Central St Martins atthe start of October. My
Degree show is going to
be re-exhibited in Cork inSeptember in a show of
recent Graduates selectedand curated by Ian
McInerney from the BlackMariah.
Beths show in the Black Mariah, Corkopens Septemeber 10th and runs for
a week
A lot of the time Idont do anything,I just watch TV,then I have anidea but usuallyit only takesve minutes to
make. Then I goback towatching TVChristian Boltanski
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Review Dana SchutzDeirdre Kelly reviews Schutzs newshow Tourettes Paintings at
The Douglas Hyde Gallery, Dublin
Thursday 15th July, saw
Dana Schutz give anartists talk in the Douglas
Hyde Gallery, TCD to
mark the opening ofher exhibition, Tourettes
Paintings. A large groupgathered to hear the self-
deprecating American, agraduate from Cleveland,
Ohio, talk us throughher new body of work.
She exhibits from the
Zach Feuer Gallery anda number of her works
are in all the major
North American Galleriesas well as the Saatchi,London. The rst impression
upon walking into thegallery is one of colour,
brightness and a feelingof summer due to the
bright oranges, reds and
yellows that populate herwork. The colouring is
reminiscent of the Fauvistsand indeed one of her
larger works has a Matissestyle decorative patterned
background in intricateswirls of blue and black.
There is also a sense of
the cartoonish humour of
Philip Guston with inatedand overblown grotesque
features enveloping eachgure in different hues
of pink and red. FrancisBacons distorted features
also comes to mind so itis clear that Schutz carries
a weight of art historythroughout her concept.
There is a good sense
of humour emanatingfrom the work which
Schutz claims was not
a deliberate act on herpart but one gets theimpression from the artist
herself that this humouris an essential element
of her own make-up.However , it is a more
black than whimsical
humour in that there is anunderlying sense of gloom
or unhappiness prevailing.The title of the exhibition
comes from the fact thatSchutz can feel stied or
awkward around certainsituations almost as if she
suffers from this syndrome
herself. For instance,
her piece, Poke, cameabout as she was sitting
in a restaurant with herfriend and as he was
talking, her mind wasoverowing with questions.
Why hadnt she noticedbefore how blue his eyes
were? What would
his reaction be if she
suddenly leaned over and
poked him in the eye?Her images therefore
are her visualisations ofthoughts and impressions
going on in her headwhich she knows that
if she carried out inreal life, she would be
considered as someone
strange, someone on
the periphery, someone
that people do not quiteknow what to make of,
in essence, someonewith Tourettes Syndrome.
This someone howeverhas far more complexity
and intelligence than isapparent to the viewer.
Swimming, Smoking,
Dana Schutz, Swimming, Smoking, Crying, 2009.Oil on canvas, 45 x 48 inches. Collection Nerman Museum ofContemporary Art, Johnson County Community College, OverlandPark, Kansas, gift of Marti and Tony Oppenheimer and the
Oppenheimer Brothers Foundation.
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Crying and its counterpart
Shaking, Cooking, Peeingcame about through a
mixing of elements or
actions that cannot beaccomplished together.
One or two are capableof being performed
simultaneously but whenthe third angle is added,
the result is impossible.Even women with their
ability to multi-task areinhibited by this third
element. Schutz recalls
how as a teenagershe loved to swim and
while underwater shouther head off to release
her tensions. She alwaysthought that being
underwater muted herscreams until she heard
someone shouting whileswimming and realised
that everyone had been
able to hear her allalong! This led her to
think of things that itwas not possible to do
while swimming. Cryingand swimming go nicely
together because nobodyrealises you are actually
crying. Smoking and crying
also seem complimentarybut swimming and
smoking are a no-go, animpossibility.Shaking and
cooking can combinewhen one is performing
tasks in the kitchen.Peeing and shaking are
also possible but againadding all three together
just does not work. She
thus works with theidea of opposites and
contradictions which
are clearly more subtlethan apparent from her
imagery.
This opposition conveysan air of tension in the
work although the artistherself would not be
drawn on this. She doesnot feel any anxiety
or apprehension whenundergoing her process
but she accepted thatif that was what people
felt than perhaps it was a
subconscious act on herpart. She is perhaps, she
admitted, releasing built-upanxieties through her work.
One image has adistorted face with
sharp protruding anglesemanating from his/her
throat. Schutz recountshow this autobiographical
imagery came about
through her own panicand embarrassment. She
did not have the correctchange one day in a
store or department andfound her ear aring
involuntary, which sheshows in the image, while
her throat contracted and
she could not get thewords out. It felt like a
bird had been trapped inher throat and the only
way she could project thissense of helplessness was
through an image of asharp and distorted throat.
Obviously then there is alot more to Schutz than
playful, colourful and
gestural painting.
ana Schutz,haking, Cooking, Peeing009, Oil on canvas2 x 60 inchesrivate Collection
Exhibition runs at the Douglas HydeGallery from July 16th to September15th 2010. A catalogue is availablefrom the Gallery to accompanythe exhibition.www.douglashydegallery.com
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FocusLaura is a graduate of Limerick
School of Art and Design and iscurrently a member of WickhamStreet Studios. Here she talks toOccupy Paper about her practiceand recent exhibition.
Laura McMorrow
OP Hi Laura, so can you tell us what kind of themes and concerns are explored in your
practice?
LMcM I am concerned with the reinvention of found objects, approaching each objectdifferently, depending on the surface. I use a wide range of mediums including paint,
collage, drawing, and print to convey a narrative that comes about by presenting anumber of different images collectively. I aim to create work that requires a second
glance from the viewer by subverting traditional methods of hanging. My recent workexplores themes of geology, taxidermy, and drunkenness.
OPYou use a lot of found and discarded materials and thats been a continuous thing
since college. Is that something that comes naturally, are you quite a collector?
LMcM Im a hoarder, I cant throw anything out. Id like to think a lot of artists have the
same problem! It just makes more sense to me to recycle what is close to hand. Imparticularly prone to collecting cardboard packaging, and I do my bit for society by
keeping the charity shops in business.
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OP A lot of the images you work from are found images too, does the collectingaspect also apply to your source material?
LMcM I used to work from my own photographs, but one day I decided I wanted to
paint a polar bear, and it wasnt feasible for me to take the photo myself. So since that
Ive been using Google image search. Its like having a photographic memory. Excepteverything is slightly different to how you remember it. I have folders of source material
saved on my computer, they are often poor quality, but act as a good starting point.The vastness of information on the internet means I have used images from many
different sources, including a pregnancy blog, and stills from youtube videos. I thinkscrolling through pages of thumbnails provides a bombardment of images, that
echoes the found nature of the objects I work on.
OP What can you tell us about your process in
general? Give us some insight into how you work
LMcM My work is quite process based, I sit at my desksurrounded by clutter, and develop ideas I have
either stored in my brain, or in my notebook. There isa playfulness in my approach to making paintings,
and my studio has been compared to a laboratory.
There is work everywhere, paintings balance on other
paintings, and pieces leaning on the ledge of theskirting board. I tend to use every available space. Thework is small scale, but when presented collectively
they play off against one another. My work tacklesthe boundaries between real and illusory, presenting
the works as artefacts are an import parallel to mypaintings.
OP Are there any artists out there that you reallyadmire and maybe inuence you?
LMcM I was really impressed by a Fergus Feehily show
I saw in the Douglas Hyde Gallery recently. I alsoadmire Thomas Mailaenders work. Hes a French artist
Ive come across recently. And Hank Schmidt in DerBeek, because hes funny.
There is workeverywhere,
paintingsbalanceon other
paintings,and piecesleaning onthe ledge ofthe skirtingboard
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If thestudio isbusy, Ifeel moreinclinedto make
work
OPYou won the Contact Studio Bursary in college and youve also been working inWickham Street Studios since last year, was it important for you to keep working in a studio
environment and do you think that being able to work alongside other artists is important
to developing your practice, especially after college?
LMcM Its great for bouncing ideas around, and for motivation. If the studio is busy, I feelmore inclined to make work. I was lucky to get a space in Contact Studios, which was a
great space for the transition from college to real life. Then the Wickham experience ledto the involvement with Occupy Space, which has been invaluable. And it feels like we
have really contributed to the art scene in Limerick.
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OP You had an exhibition recently in Belfast, how did that come about? Are you lookingforward to starting the MFA in Belfast this year?
LMcM I submitted a proposal to Queen Street Studios Gallery, and having the show there
in July was a great introduction to what Belfast will be like when I move up in Septemberfor the MFA.
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CCUPY
Disclaimer: Occupy Paper is free and makes no prot from the publication of any materials
found therein. Occupy Paper is a publication for the dissemination of artistic ideas and willnot be liable for any offense taken by any individual(s) resulting from any material contained
therein.All images in Occupy Paper are the sole property of their creators unless otherwisestated. No image in the magazine or the magazine logo may be used in any way withoutpermission of the copyright holder.Submissions: All works submitted to Occupy Paper must be the sole, original property of thecontributor(s), have the appropriate model releases, and cannot interfere with any otherpublication or companys publishing rights.
Occupy Paper is edited by Aoife Flynn, Occupy Space/Wickham Street Studios, Limerick,Ireland.