An artist is always alone - if he is an artist. No, what the artist needs is loneliness.

Recently the past week i have been volunteering at the Absolut Fringe festival and for every shift we do, we get to go to an event for free. I looked through the events and couldn't choose but i kept coming back to The Enemies.

The Enemies is based on a story by author Jorge Luis Borges entitled 'The Secret Miracle'. Although i have never read this book the exhibition was easily comprehendable through the video instalation and what could only be described as a theatrical performance at the ending.

As an audience we follow the last days of the life of the character Hladik the musician. The reason for him being condemed is the fact he is a jew in the evil world of the Nazi's. Throughout his last days of his existence Hladik wishes to finish his music even though the music might never be heard or read again. The audience is shown through video projection, performance and music the isolated sufferings of this character through a multi room instalation.

I found this to be very intriguing and interesting insight into the world of Hladik. I think that the Joinery was the perfect gallery to stage this installation as the size increased the intimacy of the performance. Although the visuals i found to be very interesting and the music the same.

*The Enemies was organised by the Miranda Driscoll and Michael Fleming with the Joinery

Memories are the treasures that we keep locked deep within the storehouse of our souls, to keep our hearts warm when we are lonely.

Yet another review...

This review is of the exhibition Deep Fried Ephemera by musician Jim White in the Douglas Hyde Gallery.

I was very unsure about the meaning of the word Ephemera so i looked it up and it means some piece of written or translated word that was not meant to be retained or preserved. This i found very interesting as the majority of the boards contained many pieces of that persons history and how they all might have possibly been from just the one day. This thought i found curious and intriguing.

I have to say i was really fascinated by this collection. It was exhibited in a small room containing bulletin boards covered with images and also books from peoples past. On the Douglas Hyde gallery website it is stated that the artist "chose to put together a selection of curious and engaging oddities" I can really relate to the word curious as the collection was indeed very curious.

Each of the bulletin boards included photos, sometimes illustrations and notes written to friends or loved ones, written maybe by the owner of the items on the board. Although the collection was indeed curious the explanation was very interesting. It stated that the exhibition was collection of peoples memories and nostalgia. All the bulletin boards were from different eras and many people from different generations can relate to the images and notes that were attached to these boards. I think each of these boards oozed nostalgia and melancholy, that belonged to that particular person and it gave an impression of that persons life that i found very alluring. This was one of my favourite exhibitions lately and i would highly recommend it.

History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.

Image: Installation 'Goran’s Stealth Yugo' 2009 Imma (taken by myself)

This is another review of an exhibition currently being displayed in IMMA. This collection belongs to Irish artist Alan Phelan and is entitled Fragile Absolutes. The title was inspired by the

Slavoj Žižek book The Fragile Absolute – or, why is the Christian legacy worth fighting for?

Taking the italicised words from this book and he uses them as associations towards 15 approaches for his pieces. Within this particular group of pieces the artist deals with themes such as: political history, cultural theory, popular culture, masculinity and modified cars. The collection includes a vast amount of varied pieces ranging from video, hand carved marble and papier-mâché sculptures. The artist sets up a very interesting compilation of the literal and metaphorical references, simultaneously providing background information on many of his chosen subjects and leaving them open to interpretation.

I thought this was my favourite aspect of the exhibition, that it was very open to interpretation. Another of my favourite aspects was the intense symbolism and use of the media in a very unusual and surreal way. I felt that the collection together had a message and was very intriguing more than anything else. It made you think about certain aspects in history such as war but used interesting media to portray this. My favourite piece in the collection was a collage which portrayed stills from a documentary based on world war one. This collage included quotes aimlessly placed across the piece. This was my favourite out of the collection because although the quotes seemed random, they were from both sides of the situation at hand. Some of these quotes were from the victims and some from the people who caused the chaos and destruction.

I would highly recommend this exhibition ot anyone interested in history or visual art.

Color is for me the purest form of expression, the purest abstract reality.

Image: Imma (http://www.imma.ie/en/page_197019.htm)

This is a review of the exhibition 'Signal to Noise' by american abstract artist Terry Winters in IMMA. The exhibition displays a collection from the past ten years of painting and drawing.

In my opinion it was an utterly mesmerising collection of pieces, mostly because of the vast amount of paintings that were displayed. On the Imma website it states that this collection "explores the cerebral spaces of information technology and issues of cognition and narration as they relate to abstract painting"

As many abstract paintings go, i have never seen such a different aspect on this genre. The feeling i got from the collection was one of forcefullness and perfectionism. Even though these paintings and drawings are considered abstract there is a certain formality to each piece because of the amount of details that are added and how each one is similar in some way or another. In my opinion i think that this a brilliant collection that oozes feeling and emotion.

Obsessed by a fairy tale, we spend our lives searching for a magic door and a lost kingdom of peace

Left image: I dunno exactly the reason but i really really like this picture. Maybe its because of my fascination with fastasy, fairytales and the surreal, I'm not really sure. Generally when i go onto deviant art i favourite like 20 images when i log on but this one in particular is one of my favourites right now as well as the image on the right.

Left Link:http://gloeckchen.deviantart.com/art/sheep-s-clothing-II-120520986

Right above: Its entitled my secret view. I love this picture, i think its absolutely gorgeous! The story behind it is even more fascinationg than the tatoo itself. Link: http://carynvstheworld.deviantart.com/art/my-secret-view-101746728

"Everything is beautiful. Pop is everything." Andy Warhol

"Brand washed"

Opening No Grants Gallery, Temple Bar.

This exhibition included the work of Irish pop art artist John O'Connor. When entering the gallery i got a chance to discuss the concept and use of media with the artists himself. He explained that he used all materials that he can find in order to produce his pieces of art. the exhibition aims to explore the relationship between society and modern day pop and media iconography.

The exhibition featured only a few of his pieces while others are sold on cows lane in temple bar. The artwork itself is an innovative and nostalgic explosion of familiar images and logos from our image obsessed society. It combines images such as Disney character, infamous actors and logo's such as coca cola and burger king. He uses a collage of contrasting shapes and images on his canvases. The works in my opinion have a sense of youthfulness and pop art nostalgia with reference to Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol.

"John uses this iconography as a medium to critisis our media saturated and brand obsessed culture. Thecharacters and logos that are used to create a visual representation of the culture in which the work is based.

John's states that his work is generally focused towards an audience of people under the age of thirty.

Link: http://www.johnoconnor.ie/

Music Playlist at MixPod.com

A picture is a poem without words.

These Images are created by russian artist Katerina Belkina from a collection entitled famous hunters. I felt that these images were immensely eye catching and i really liked the surrealism within the images.The left image seems to be inspired by both Pablo Picasso and Salvidor Dali.

The artist combines both these influences but also portrays something new and innovative.The image on the centre above is a self portrait entitled a fish called wanda and the picture on the above left is don't call birdy.

I admittedly admire the colours, patterns and surrealism used in these images. I like the imense contrast with the colours and patterns. I think these images are very aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

Link: http://katerinabelkina.deviantart.com/

The following pieces are created by artist known as *Dorothy-shoes on Deviant art. The image on the right is entitled 'Monologue man' and is stated by the artist illustrating that "Dialogue is not always an easy exercise between men and women"

The image on the right hand side is entitled 'No way". The artist describes the images as portraying the following: "That's a story of a guy..I won't tell his name..Someday he got very ill..Suddenly..He spent several months locked in a sterilised room..He decided to keep faith in himself.. Strongly.. He never gives up.Now his windows are opened again.His feet on the city ground.To leave ? No way"

The reason i like these images is because i like the surrealism similar to the previous artist but in a more simple and minimalist way. I find the concept and ideas behind the artist images absolutely fascinating.

Link:http://dorothy-shoes.deviantart.com/

Love is fire. But whether it's gonna warm your heart or burn your house down, you can never tell.

These are pieces written by my dad, Sean O'Hagan and i found them in this notebook that he used to keep. I don't know when they were written but i just thought i'd share them with anyone who would like to read them. I don't think he meant for anyone to read these but i think they just show what he was like and how was creative he was.

Confusion- Sean O'Hagan

I want to love, but don't want to be loved.
My heart aches, yet i feel no pain.
I feel blind, yet i can see.
I'm chained but there are no chains.
I know love, yet i don't know love.
My heart beats, yet there is no pulse.
I feel fear but i'm not afraid.
I feeble, yet i'm not old.
I feel dead, but i know i'm alive.

Unknown-Sean O'Hagan

If you where my lady
and i was your knight
I'd slay all you dragons with all of my might
I'd carry your colours on my arm
and win your love with chivarly and charm
If i knelt at your feet, lay my heart and soul at your door,
Would you give me you love forever more.

"Give yourself a present, Forgive yourself"

Image: Eija-Liisa Ahtila: Working flat out

Last i week i came across an exhibition in the temple bar gallery. It was by an Finnish artist by the name of Eija-Liisa Ahtila and is titled The present. The exhibition consists of five televisions and five separate episodes of women and there development of phychoses.

The first episode i watched was about a women who she wanted to hide from the world and she decided to cover up her room and live without the sounds and noises of the outside world. I thought to myself that this exhibition was possibly about peoples responses to there memories of war or themes along these lines.

After briefly looking through the episodes i still was not sure about the theme of the exhibition until i seen one of the episode in particular. This episode was about a girl and she was paranoid about these people and she referred to these people as 'them' coming after her and so she hides under her bed. It was obvious within this episode that she was in a metal institution. After looking through the episodes i read the press release. It didn't occur to me that all these episodes were illustrating mental stability and the development of the women's phychoses.

I feel that this exhibition was very intense and sorrowful. The emotion of sorrow is illustrated thourgh that fact that these people are so ordinary and these emotionally states could developed from anything from flawed relationships to failing families. The emotions and hysteria that these characters have are portrayed extremely well through the camera lens. I found this five piece five peice installation very inspiring. I'd thoroughly recommend this exhibition to any person who is interested in psychology and visual arts. The exhibition will continue until the 23rd of May in Temple Bar Gallery.