Happy May

I am writing this newsletter in Malmö, Sweden where I’ve been for nearly two weeks. The weather during my time has shifted, my morning runs started with gloves on and now I’m almost sorry I didn’t bring my short-sleeved t-shirt.

Gearing up for summer I have a trip to the states planned, and then back to Ireland for a late July opening of a solo show.

studio news

The main reason this email is being sent a day early is there are still a few hours left to bid online for this piece in the Pallas Projects Art Works! Auction

(closing at 18:51 on May 11, 2023)

I have a painting in the RHA 193rd annual exhibition opening May 22nd

Two pieces in a spring group show at Molesworth gallery

ie explains

 The ‘ie explains’ section is a bit longer than usual — giving more insight into this body of work, as well as a singular painting.

My grandparents' lake home has been a container for my own childhood memories, and family tales told to me from the period before I was born. It is a site of unending reflection and retrospection. Located on Pelican Lake in Minnesota the lake home was an oasis that we visited between April and late October. There were spaces to hide or roam, long days of sunshine, nights of deep sleep, tacos on Fourth of July, boat rides, and sun burnt skin being cooled by Vaseline intensive care lotion. I nurture my memories from this place, using them as portals for exploration and discovery. Through the practice of painting, I bring into physical existence what my mind sees, re-exploring, and imagining my love of the remembered aesthetic and architecture that resides in my mind. 

The lake home was bought in the late 1960s and sold in 2006, so now the stories told to me and my own memories are warped by time. Thus these paintings are also about distance — the distance inherent in a place that no longer exists and the distance between childhood and my current perspective as a more self-aware adult. At the lake home, I often felt a comfortable invisibleness; my only obligation was to show up for meals. Many days were spent reading alone in different rooms of the house. This nearly silent existence for better or worse allowed me to unintentionally overhear ‘adult’ conversations — whispered fears of health and death, worries about finances, or plain gossip. As a naturally observant child with impeccable memory, these incidents stayed with me and fed my anxious tendencies. As an adult and as a painter, I am beginning to understand the subconscious impact of these events and their influence on my development. By combining elements of memory and imagination, I can generate paintings that play with the elements of darkness and light — dogs trotting to bed, marionettes hidden in closets, a shadow cast on a floor. Now, I can see more clearly these overlapping experiences of happiness, confusion, and contentment, even if they don’t make sense, feel purposeful and satisfying.

Below is a painting from this series, which is on the verge of completion but not there yet. It is the last in this series to come to resolution. It seems to be a prime example of how I use the content of my memory and utilize it as a motivation for painting.

When I was about 5, my dad and I took a walk through the orchard at my grandparents’ lake home. We walked up to one of the plum trees, Dad pointed to a patch of bark covered in armyworms and said ‘There’s mother nature at work.’ This seemingly banal memory remains crystal clear in my mind, and I wonder why. Perhaps his comment made me feel seen, as I have always been inclined towards the natural world, but I can't be certain. So, I use this experience as a catalyst for painting, to uncover information that can’t be accessed through reflection alone.

recs

SEE

About Hill, an exhibition of works by Tal R and Mamma Andersson I saw last weekend in Malmö. The shows premise was Andersson and R’s shared interest in Carl Fredrik Hill.

LISTEN

New Playlist! A mix of tunes by the world’s most inconsistent DJ (me).

READ

Stoner by John Williams was one of the most perfect novels I have ever read, deeply depressing, incredibly moving.

The Korean Vegan cookbook — every dish we have made thus far has been given 4 to 5 stars. It is well explained, visually beautiful and extremely helpful learning about Korean ingredients and where to source them. The Japchae —Korean glass noodles might have been my favorite so far.

EAT

Lastly, my expansion of culinary delights in Sweden continues. Firstly, the Delicato Delicatoboll is the mass market version of the Swedish kokosbollar. These are basically a ball of chocolate fluff that melts beautifully on the tongue with the contrast of some bits of coconut to make things texturally interesting. I have found people are very eager to tell you they are VEGAN.

The other mind-blowing event was my transition to team waffle, of the Swedish variety: thin, crispy, shaped like little hearts, and sturdy enough to not need utensils. Topped with cloudberry jam and whipped cream they made a convert out of me. I think if you were to make these in the states a Pizelle maker might be the best iron of choice.

As always, thank you for subscribing and reading.

Take care, see you in July!

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