Printmaking-"Journey"

Manchester Gallery Visit - above sketches from gallery

-Inspiration for Screen Printing

Clare Curneen

St Sebastian

Made in 2004                                                                                    

Hand modelled porcelain; partly glazed and gilded.

Her work is concerned with the body
and the exploration of powerful human emotions
such as alienation, melancholy and religious

She was born in Ireland and studied in Belfast where she did an MA in Ceramics’ at the same time. Her interest in working with her hands came from helping her farther in his workshop, who was an electronic engineer. Her work is very much influenced by her Irish catholic heritage. Her sculptures have an air of menology and vulnerability and are nor dead or alive but lie in the place in between mortal and immortal. She was inspired by the early renaissance period such as the painting of the “Birth of Christ” by Leonardo ad Vinci.

I found the sculpture in the contemporary section in the Manchester art gallery and was drawn towards it, it had a charged presence. The first word I wrote down was ‘alien’. It provoked an awkward silence but like most of her sculptures then always embody hope. The figure I saw was Saint Sebastian, the sculpture is built up of clay pinches and applied in patches revealing a sense of hand building yet suggesting soft vulnerability of the skin and flesh.

I choose journey as my theme for print and the drawing I did of this sculpture featured in my final interior square. Seeing this sculpture has inspired me to think outside the box and make my work more personal. After all art is self expression. They way you feel and think effects your work in a way making it a part of you biography and enables you to grow as a person and an artist. Making my work more personal I tend to be interested in it and therefore I want to research in depth and I don’t get bored.

I feel that when the people of the 21^st century look at art in galleries they are wanting and looking for more in art not only it just looking nice. They want to come away with a new view sometimes even on life and something to inspire them in their own.

             Above and below experimental prints using Clare Curneen drawing and Helmut Newton drawing                            from Germany Visit in 2009. 

                                                   Above section of my final Interior square.