colourful painting of a row of buildings with tetris blocks and a person falling from the sky

archipelago

painting, digital collage, installation

2011-12

Inspired by the work created during the Floating Islands project, Archipelago is a study of islands as collective units, both individual and collaborative.

While the work included art installations, it was foreshadowed by the formation of a short-lived artist collective, 'Stranded Artists', with whom I organised an exhibition in Iceland and developed some new connections.

Islands are separated forms adrift from one another. But all are interconnected, by sea or by sky, by conversation or by communication.

This project was part-funded by funded by Sligo Arts Office and the early works were made on residency at Nes International Artist Residency, Skagaströnd, Iceland.

two paintings above one another, with both showing shipping containers and inside each is a view of some ditant, faded landscape

By Sea or By Sky, 2011, Acrylic on Two Linen, 89 x 115cm

This work depicts the idea of islands being separated, in terms of trade and communication, by sea or by sky. It uses landscape imagery and a symbol of global communication, the shipping container.

Exhibited at Irish Wave III in Shanghai, China, 2012.

painting with tetris pieces falling into a strange landscape, and a person near-front face-down

Archepillogical, 2011, Acrylic & Oil, Seven Canvases, Acrylic Sheet sculptures, 242 x 148 x 40cm

This painting installation is designed to be hung in different formations, creating separated islands from people who are falling, divided and separated.

detail image of the painting installation with plastic 3D tetris pieces and falling people

another detail, different angle. all following images same

close-up with the tetris blocks very visible

painting installation, half-constructed buildings in background with people and tetris blocks falling in foreground. plastic, sculptural tetris blocks hang in front of the paintings

Heading Straight For The Clouds, 2011, Acrylic, Oil, Canvas, Acrylic Sheet, dimensions variable, paintings individually 110 x 178cm

Using the idea of separated forms, this painting installation uses sculptures and paintings to create an image of social separation and how divided we can fall. This was the earlier installation work, and helped propel much of my future work with 3D and 2D works combined.

digital photo stylised with bright colours and large areas of white, with a falling person top-right

My Thoughts Are My Own and That's Where I'll Keep Them, 2012, Digital projection, Dimensions variable

digital image of an ocean, light colours, with a person falling into the right-hand side of the water

Out Here I'll Find My Home, 2012, Digital projection, Dimensions variable

bright landscape photo collage with three people falling into the water

Stay Together Now, 2012, Digital projection, Dimensions variable

influences

things I read or saw that helped create this project

david batchelor chromophobia (2000) book
guy de maupassant boule de suif (1880) short story [LIT]
grant h kester conversation pieces: community and communication in modern art (2004) book
marc levinson the box: how the shipping container made the world smaller and the world economy bigger (2006) book
cormac mccarthy the crossing (1994) book [LIT]

collaborators

colleagues who worked on this project with me

the models who jumped on a trampoline and let me photograph them: erna, knut, min-hae, matt, mark, amy
all the other artists at Nes who helped with everything

financial support

people or organisations who helped fund the work

sligo arts office for supporting travel to the nes artist residency
Nes Artist Residency, Iceland.