St Catherine’s Graveyard Park also includes a sculpture, Adult & Child Seat by the artist Jim Flavin (1961 – 2004).
Taking much of its form and colour from the headstones in the park, which was formerly a graveyard; this artwork in the form of a bronze curvilinear seat celebrates the continuation of life. The abstract flowing forms of this sculpture are typical of Flavin’s work.
Flavin was primarily an abstract artist, interested in the fluidity of bronze and the forms and textures he could create with the material and patina. He favoured soft, flowing shapes and focused on the different sections of each artwork and the way in which he bought them together to achieve the form and texture he desired. The site of the piece is of particular significance.
As part of the 1988 Sculpture Symposium the selected artists were given a list of sites to choose from and in this case Jim Flavin chose St. Catherine’s despite it not being one of the listed sites.
Jim Flavin was born in Limerick in 1961. He attended the National College of Art and Design in Dublin and the Crawford College of Art in Cork. He then went to live at Lasallian International Art and Culture Centre outside Florence. It was here that the found his true expressive medium and from there on he was fascinated by the art of bronze cast- ing. This fascination soon turned to dedication and following his return to Ireland he founded the Bronze Art Ltd. foundry in Dublin. Flavin was also a member of the executive board of the Sculptors Society of Ireland from 1992-93.
DREAMSPHERE BY AOIFE DUNNE AT THE ROYAL HOSPITAL KILMAINHAM
Hypnotically staged in the IMMA Courtyard, DREAMSPHERE – a site-specific installation devised by IMMA artist-in-residence Aoife Dunne – transports spectators to an immersive mindscape. Exploring the notion of consciousness as an exteriorised shared space in which to roam and reside, audiences are encircled by arresting sounds and screens. The ensuing visualisations, unfolding at a frenetic pace, send viewers on a surreal trip through the tumultuous mind; teasing future prospects of consciousness-sharing whilst exploiting technology to stretch the psychological parameters of human experience.
Dunne’s long-standing penchant for melding physical and digital disciplines is made manifest by the onscreen projections. From the material splendour of her costuming to the tactility of obscure found objects, a miscellany of palpable textures is transported to this virtual dimension, stoking visual-haptic sensations within the viewer. Heightening the multi-sensorial feel of Dunne’s dream realm, sonic idiosyncrasies soundtrack the performer’s fevered envisioning; furthering allusions to mental overwhelm and entrapment already sparked by the work’s enclosed structure.
DREAMSPHERE epitomises the multi-hyphenate nature of Dunne’s practice: the installation’s myriad features, unlimited to sculpture, sound, performance and film, were single handedly conceived by the artist, reflecting her tireless dexterity and flair for phantasmagoria.
Digital installation artist Aoife Dunne creates visually-arresting, immersive environments fusing sculpture, video, sound, performance, technology, and costume. Fuelled by a fascination with digital and material culture, Dunne’s idiosyncratic touch is laced with references to the surreal and hyper-real. Exploring an ethos rooted in post-pop and post-internet, Dunne’s work envelops audiences in abstract, detail-driven virtual and physical realms. Her multi dimensional approach to crafting large-scale, experiential work is informed by a diverse creative background steeped in dance, performance, fashion and musical composition. Bulldozing through the boundaries of what conventional exhibitions entail, Dunne reaps continent-crossing acclaim for her inimitable aesthetic and site-specific, colourfully chaotic work.
Aoife Dunne studied Fine Art Media at The National College of Art and Design and received her BFA in 2016. Since graduating, Dunne has held numerous exhibitions internationally, including The Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, The Royal Academy of Arts London, and upcoming solo shows in Puerto Rico, New York, London, Dublin, Paris, and Tokyo.
Artist website: aoifedunne.com Follow Aoife Dunne on Instagram: @efadone
TREE OF LIFE BY VINCENT BROWN AT BLANCHARDSTOWN CIVIC OFFICES
Vincent Browne was born in Dublin in 1947. He studied at the National College of Art and Design and at the Jan Van Eyck Academy in the Netherlands. In 1987, Browne represented Ireland in Budapest at the 7th International Small Sculpture Show. He created a well-loved Dublin landmark, Mr. Screen, the squat bronze usher who stands outside the Screen Cinema at the junction of Hawkins Street and Townsend Street in Dublin. Mr Screen was made from two immersion water heaters.
His public commissions also include Anti-War Memorial (Limerick, 1987) and the bronze Palm Tree seat in Temple Bar, Dublin.
In 2005, Browne was commissioned to create a sculpture for the exterior of the Blanchardstown Civic Offices called The Tree of Life.
The Tree of life is constructed in bronze with hand welded bronze leaves. The structure represents the double helix a symbol associated with the structure of DNA, the building block of human existence.The sculpture reflects in the water and against the glass quietly interrupting its environment. It is a symbol for a growing county and for a young, progressive council.
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