Our Last Day in Ballyvaughan
June 26, 2009
It’s friday morning here and it’s raining! This is the very first day of rain that we have had in the 20 that we have been here. Unbelievable weather. It seems we have had the flip side of what has happened, weatherwise, at home.
As you can imagine, the last couple of days have been very busy. The show was mounted and it looks wonderful! The down side is that the opening was sparsely attended. Our schedule and the schedule of the “real” world seemed to be out of synch…so….we’re going to do it again!
Students are preparing another full blown opening complete with food, and a band playing traditional Irish music. They didn’t want to end their time here without a kind of closure befitting all of the effort and energy expended.
Wednesday evening, students, minus Tim and I, gathered for a student run critique. From all accounts it was extremely successful. This is something that we don’t do at Wheaton but I will seriously consider it for the fall in an upper level class.
It’s really hard for me to tell you about the work that our students have produced here. Better to show you.
The following photograph is a picture of Katharine Heyl in front of a photograph of one of her sculptures. The work is actually produced to be photographed in a natural surrounding and the inspiration for this came from Irish legend.
The next image is a closer look at another of “Kat’s” works.
I think I have said this before but it is worth repeating. The first 3 days after our arrival, this group spent their time touring, listening, exploring and settling in to this new surrounding. The work that they created was completed in approximately 2 weeks. This compression of time forced them to adjust, solve problems, decide on the content of their work and complete it. This could not have been done successfully without a total commitment that required 10, 12 and sometimes 15 hour work days.
Here is a photograph of Veronica Rogers and few sentences from her to help you understand how this experience shaped her work:
“My project concerns the meeting of the imaginary with the actual. The Irish people’s talent for narrative and respect and passion for their heritage provided a beautiful platform to explore this idea. Our group had the priviledge of listening to Eddie Linehan, a very famous story teller, who lives in the Burren. Inspired by his stories, I have based the majority of my works on the legends he presented to us. Working towards a dual major in Studio Art and English, the central focus in both my academic areas of study is the concept of communication. Illustrating Irish legends allows me to combine both interests, and meet this common goal. Thus, by rendering their stories my work is a representation of the landscape. and the people and their culture. This experience has also reinforced my positive feelings towards Ireland and given me an opportunity of a lifetime!”
At the beginning of all of this, our basic construct was, ” experience the place and then create a body of work based on what your senses perceive.” Sometimes the result of that can be surprising, as it was for Edie Snyder.
“Upon arriving in Ireland, I began drawing and making photographs. During the breaks I’d find myself in the junk pile behind the school collecting small rusty metal objects that were interesting to me. Soon, I had quite a rust collection in my studio! I decided to follow my instinct and decided to put some of these pieces together. I learned how to weld! This opportunity is unlike any other because it has allowed me the freedom and resources to take a risk and try something completely new to me.”
Marianne and Carol, an artist in residence
Marianne Honeycutt spent her time working on photographic constructions. Believing that no one image is capable of expressing what this place looks like, she made multi-image “collages” showing detail as well as panoramic views. She is shown in this picture with Carol, and artist in residence at the BCA.
” Coming to the Burren has been one of the most unique experiences I have ever had. I have been pushed far beyond what I have achieved in the past. There is a natural tranquility here. I feel like I can breathe deeper here, stretch out, slow down, and experience the brilliance of the natural world.”
Tess Cunard’s project consists of re-building a section of one of the thousands of miles of rock walls found here. It is a conceptual piece that deals basically about where we are now, life’s obstacles, and the uncertainty of the future and the doors we will have to pass through.
Tess Cunard
Rosemary Liss and President Mary Hawkes-Greene at the gallery opening.
Brenna Crothers in front of two of her pen and ink drawings, at the opening.
This is a sculpture by Allison Lelito. It combines a found object with painting.
This blog will continue after our return to the States. There is so much still to tell and so much more to show you. I need to sort it all out and have some time to organize it. As promised, I will post an album of images that will hopefully complete the picture of what has happened here.
Wish us a safe flight home. We’ll see you soon.
Andy