The Anatomy of teritory will run from Nov 14th until Dec 2nd

These works stem from two residencies (2005,2006) in The Factory, Krems, Lower Austria.

ARTISTS STATEMENT

Although travel and places have become an undeniable influence in the work,it is not the reason for painting. It is often about the experience of making a picture without relying on the usual devices and props,they have their own sense of impermanence. Beginning in anticipation that something worthwhile will emerge,painting is about taking that chance,and what is incorporated in the surface is more important that surface alone. The process of discovery,editing and adding something new are authenticated,however unfamiliar. Relinquishing the remnants of pictures past,which may have been abundant originally, are reduced to essences. The paintings employ formal gestures ,away from particular subjects, to edges,borders.Colour is not of primary concern,and results and conclusions can be circumstantial. Everything can feed the work,people,location,events,past experiences,all play some part. An autobiographical journey,but not confessional one.

In July ‘98 Leonard represented Ireland in the International Symposium of Watercolour Artists at Riga, Latvia where he won the award for the Best Conceptual Artist. He crewed with Tim Severin on his Spice Islands expedition in the capacity of voyage artist, from which he illustrated the accompanying book He has recently returned from an Artist in Residency Program in The Factory Kunsthalle in Akrems in Austria. He has also been an invited artist to Art Vitae Unplugged and the Cill Rialaig Arts Centre. He has had exhibitions at The Royal Geographic Society in London and The National Museum in Dublin as well as several shows at The Paul Kane Gallery.

His 2006 Film "Hermitage" has been selected for the Samhlaiocht Kerry Film Festival.

Some Days runs until Saturday November 4th

FAITH

Jackie Nickerson

Runs from 15th Sept. to 7th Oct.

FAITH is a body of work by artist Jackie Nickerson - a Co. Louth based artist - selected from two and a half years photographing the religious of Ireland and their interior and exterior spaces.

It is an exciting and timely exhibition and captures the Catholic Church in Ireland at a period of great change.

There are images of the new modern spaces inhabited by and worked in by the religious and the crumbling grand building of old. There are intimate details of their everyday lives – such as ‘Place setting’ and ‘Cloaks’, overviews of their activities such as ‘Green room’ and ‘Hallway’, and quirky side views such as ‘Waste’ which is an image of the leftover paper thin bread of the Eucharist, after the host has been cut out, lying in a bin. There are also many portraits including the Fra Angelico-like portraits of the Glenstall monks.

Her portrait of Sister Patrice has been selected for The Photographic Portrait Prize Exhibition 2006 at The National Portrait Gallery, London, to run from 8th November to 18th February.

Jackie is represented in New York by The Jack Shainman Gallery and has been selected by Octavo Zaya for the Israel biennale in 2007.

A catalogue with an essay by Kevin Moore has been published to accompany the exhibition. For further information please contact the gallery.

Helen Farrell.

Will run from 18th August to 10th September

New Works is an exhibition of new drawings and paintings by Helen Farrell. Helen is best known for her figure studies but the figure is absent from these latest works.

Artist Statement

Drawing and the process of drawing are the underlying elements linking this new body of work. Despite using non-figurative imagery, highly worked and reworked surfaces suggest the ghostly presence/emergence of the figure and hint at the transient nature of being human.

Fractured forms within the works add to the overall sense of vulnerability present and muted and earthy tones in oil, waterbased-crayon, chalk and pigment, create a rarified palimpsest-like effect, relieved by discrete but vibrant touches of colour.