As a painter, I belong to an identifiable culture which was shaped by the Paleolithic cave painters of 30,000 years ago and I work within a tradition of European art. My approach to painting is informed by two distinct strands in Western European painting; one derives from Florence and the Flemish School where artworks were semi-illustrations, the other stems from Titian and Velazquez where painting can sometimes extend beyond the reach of the intellect and exist in the realm of the senses as a distinct spiritual experience.
Over forty years my painting has been consistently changing. Rather than existing in a repetitive style my work evolves through identifiable series or “periods” in much the same way the work of Picasso or Gerhard Richter progressed. My creativity is generally a reflection of experience in much the same way as dreams are a reflection of the unconscious. My early work drew from sources of mysticism, symbolism and psychology, at a time of self discovery and introspection. My later work is an exploration of culture, identity and the human spirit.
While the technical revolution of recent years and the emergence of conceptual art have given us new approaches to creative expression and art forms, I am inclined to think that painting is essentially outside and independent of these developments and remains on a trajectory that is as ancient as humanity. Human consciousness and evolution are indelibly connected to the dexterity of the human hand and the impulse to make a mark. Indeed, much of modern painting is concerned with the interchangeable dynamics of figuration and abstraction which were also the same concerns of the Palaeolithic artists. Everything changes and everything remains the same; we have come full circle.
Selected Collections
Allied Irish Banks.
An Bord Gais.
Bank of Ireland.
Dublin City University.
Dublin V.E.C.
Foley Collection at IMMA
Irish Intercontinental Bank.
Irish Life Plc.
Jordan International.
Longford/Westmeath Library Committee.
Warrington Hospital, Warrington, England.
St. Vincents Hospital, Dublin.
Irish Medical Council
National Museum of Ireland.
National Self -Portrait Collection at the University Of Limerick.
The Office of Public Works.