Artwork
The study of the figure has driven much of my work since college. Much of this impetus was derived from exposure to the work of Rodin. The concerns raised by that encounter fuel much of my work to this day. It was the intense, physical response to his work that made me decide to study sculpture, but it was the presence of that work that made me want to explore further through paint. It is the ability of a painting to have that same presence despite occupying only two dimensions that has attracted me toward the medium.
In many of my paintings I have chosen to depict the subject through blind and semi-blind drawings. As well as being a way of embracing some of the medium’s inherent qualities, I find it also lends itself to a certain sensitivity. I try to distort the subject, whether or not it is a figure. It is my hope to set up a dialogue between viewer and work. These distortions are a means to that end, setting up the subject as existing within a predicament. Both the drawing methods and framing devices are designed to heighten the viewer’s receptiveness to the subject's condition.
Since leaving Dun Laoighre College of Art and Design with a diploma in 2000, I have been primarily working in the theatre. This work dominated my output for several years. Only in the last two years have I started to paint with any great regularity and only in the last year have I started to exhibit. In that time I have been part of shows in both the Lavitt and Vanguard galleries in Cork, as well as having work purchased by the Jury's group. This renewed enthusiasm for painting has come with a more lateral approach to subject matter, media and the kind of theatricality that paintings can embody.
The work in this gallery consists of several series from the last couple of years on canvas and metal. The above descriptions of my motivations and methodologies are more applicable to some pieces than others. That said, I hope they will give you some insight into my reasoning. If you have any further queries or wish to inquire about sales or exhibitions, please feel free to contact me at info@ronanfitzgibbon.com.