at Origin from 26th January 2018

Artist Statement
David Hockney states that there are three essential components required in order to create good art; the eye, the hand and the heart. These three elements of equal importance are the starting point for my paintings. The eye: Art is Visual. Whether you are looking at painting, sculpture or installation, art is consumed by the eye. We derive pleasure from looking and seeing, and good art in my view needs to be visually arresting and pleasing to look at. Since the first cave drawings, there has been an innate desire for people to communicate our experiences visually and I feel that it is something we will always continue to do.

The hand: This refers to the artist’s skill, craftsmanship and handling of the materials. I feel that art should show the viewer the technical ability of the artist, something that is not attainable to all. The heart: As a painter I hope to create an emotional connection with the viewer. I feel this is no different to an author or songwriter or any other form of communication.

The emotional connection is important, however, it is unrealistic to think that this connection can be made with everybody. I try to entice this sort of response through the creation of a mood in my work which is achieved through the three visual elements of spatial organisation, colour and texture. Abstract art is something that tends to require some conceptual justification. In other words, why have I decided to paint triangles over every other type of subject matter? Firstly I use triangles as a physical incarnation of the eye, hand and heart concept. Secondly, I use the three visual elements of spatial organisation, colour and texture to create a painting. The aim of this painting is for these three visual elements to coexist in harmony to create a visual chord which is pleasing to the eye, in the same way a musical chord of three notes is pleasing to the ear.

People have said that there is a spiritual dimension to my work and I acknowledge that, although it is unintentional. I strive for the colours and shapes in my works to coexist and achieve peace and balance, which is the objective of many faiths. However the structures in my paintings are secular and can be enjoyed by all, regardless of personal belief systems.

The show is called Triangulation. This simply means the division of a space into triangles, which is what I have done to the surface of the canvas. The term triangulation also refers to something I consider to be a contemporary phenomenon whereby our presence is never fixed but rather alternates between the physical world around us, our internal world and the virtual/ digital world. Our attention is fleeting and triangulates between these three environments in a continuous cycle creating a unique state of consciousness that did not exist until very recently. This new work uses the medium of paint and the language of abstraction to articulate this otherworldly but vaguely familiar environment.

‘You may be dealt your cards in life but you can re-deal them,” says Richard Gorman who gave up the motor business to devote his life to painting. He is an admirer of the artists’ work and howPadraig Parle overcame his brush with death.