Programme
Behold the Scaffolding on which Beauty is Built
There is an absurd logic to these highly detailed paintings – a sort of magic realism that deviates from the familiar, breaking the rules of our world. Leahy presents a metaphorical family tree of contemporary man, re-reading historical postures, attitudes and norms with disorienting detail, deliberately ambiguous and open-ended. The mutations present in these portraits are implausible and outlandish yet obedient to certain mathematical principles we might call unifying laws; a host of ills that hover between the body and the mind; feeding the dead, yet maintaining a strong contemporary relevance.
Despite the use of ‘reliable’ materials and figurative precision, there are many ways to read and interpret the works. We could draw, from these headless gentlemen and moss-spewing ladies, themes of incompleteness or isolation, social order or aesthetics. We could think of the honorable characters – smart uniforms, impressive facial hair, donning various species of succulent plant life – as simple stories or contes philosophiques to explain difficult or dark parts of human life; as hybrids or hosts; ridiculous and dignified at the same time.
The Scaffolding in the title of the exhibition refers to the human skull – a temporary structure for Beauty[1] and a wry reminder of the fleeting nature of time and the shifting attitudes of successive generations. Under the close watch of these spectres, we attempt multiple translations of invisible texts, grappling with the problems of our own time and our own lives, or simply laughing at the butt of some twisted joke.
[1] Collins, Wilkie: The Lady and the Law (1875), Picadilly: Chatto & Windus, p247
About Paraic Leahy:
Paraic graduated from Limerick School of Art and Design, LIT in 2008 with an honors degree in Fine Art Painting. He was a founding member of Occupy Space, an artist-led gallery in Limerick City the following year. Recent exhibitions include Isolated Borders curated by Kunsthaus, The Old Police Station, London (2012); Jema Project curated by Annette Moloney, Museum of the Miniature, Cork (2012); The Water Tower Art Fest, Sofia, Bulgaria (2011); The Woods curated by Mary Conlon, Limerick City Gallery of Art (2010), Something tells me there’s something happening at the zoo curated by Davy Moore, Kevin Kavanagh Gallery, Dublin (2010); Imposing Nature, Monster Truck Gallery, Dublin (2010); Claremorris Open, Mayo (2010). He is also the recipient of a number of awards inclusing the Ucross Foundation Fellowship Award, Wyoming, U.S.A (2011); North Tipperary Artist Support Scheme (2011 & 2012); Travel and Training Award, Arts Council of Ireland (2011); Claremorris Open Exhibiton (2010); Tyrone Gutherie Centre Bursary Award (2010).
Admission is free and all are welcome.
