Entwined (Art Exhibition)
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“Entwined”, a mixed-media sculpture exhibition took place in the Basement Gallery in Dundalk from the 8th October 1999 – 30th October 1999. There are no permanent exhibitions in the gallery. Instead, it is given over to featuring specific artists or groups of artists for a short period of time.
It was an exhibition of sculpture, charcoal and ink drawings, photographs and wall hangings inspired by the time which the artist, Breda Marron, has spent working with seriously ill children at the ‘Barrettstown Gang Camp’ in Co. Kildare. Through this exhibition, the artist wished to express both the strength and the weakness of human frailty.
The Basement Gallery is located in the Town Hall in Dundalk. As it is underground, there is no natural light. This is provided by spotlighting hung from the ceiling. This exhibition also featured sculptures with internal lighting that further illuminated the exhibition.
The Gallery consists of two small, narrow rooms forming a T-shape. The walls are natural stonework painted white and the ceilings are low. This exhibition was divided so that the first room contained sculpture, drawings and photographs, their central focus being tone of form.
The second room contained wall hangings, and sculpture with colour as its central focus. This room is the narrower of the two. As a result, the pieces were placed closely along the walls to allow people to walk easily around the room. At the well opposite the entrance stands the wish tree, on which the Barrettstown children had hung clay leaves onto which they had written their wishes. Its positioning makes it most eye-catching and this is helped by the white twinkling fairy lights which gave it a magical appearance. This room is more brightly lit than the other – adding to its cheerful atmosphere in contrast with the sombre atmosphere of the other room. The work is labelled using numbers that refer to a catalogue. This difficulty in finding the title of the works is the only hindrance to a room that is otherwise accessible and cheerful.
‘Walkin’ a Fine Line’, a mixed media wall hanging, was one of the pieces which featured in this room. It depicts the coloured wire outline of a figure in the pose of walking a tightrope. The background is constructed with handmade, textured papers and willow twigs. The bright red, yellow, blue and orange of the figure draws attention while the lilac and white of the paper background is more muted. The lines are important to the overall interpretation of the piece. The lines of the wire figure suggest movement and vivaciousness while the strong horizontal, vertical and diagonal lines of the background hive the figure a strong support. This is the idea of self-preservation in the artist’s theme while the fragility of the texture of the paper suggests human frailty.
‘Bolt 4’, a charcoal and ink drawing is positioned in the main room. It is a sketch of a peacock feather. The line is strong and flowing while the colour is dark and dramatic. This contrasts both with the subject matter and the texture that is soft and diffused. This play on contrasts recurs throughout the exhibition, as does the small clay star that could be a visual link to the wish tree, as it is made of the same material as the leaves.
The Basement Gallery is very effective in developing the interest in visual art among young Irish people, as it is local and accessible. The opening hours are also favourable as it opens during lunchtime and on Saturdays. It shows exhibitions by contemporary artists which awaken young people to the idea that art can be something modern and exciting not authoritative and dissuasive as it is sometimes portrayed in larger galleries. Also, mixed media exhibitions such as ‘Entwined’ can inspire young people to become aware of the many different possibilities in art and that art is something more than painting in oils. The layout of this exhibition lent itself well to the work being easily interpreted which would awaken an interest in the meaning of art.
