Placing Voices - Voicing Places: Project Blog

Sean Lynch | Recent Finds | Gallery of Photography

September 25th to November 9th 2008
http://galleryofphotography.ie/exhibitions/sean_lynch.html

Sean Lynch’s artworks investigate a wide range of almost-forgotten historical subjects. Using his practice as a platform against the cultural amnesia that surrounds varied topics, Lynch’s research, photographs and installations disclose and build upon fragile stories and objects, magnifying traces of an often-idiosyncratic existence.

Views of Dublin, a new artwork commissioned by the Gallery of Photography, is presented as part of the exhibition. In cut-out archival photographs and an accompanying publication, Lynch traces and interconnects a series of events taking place during and after the making of the film, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, in Dublin in spring 1965. A replica of the Berlin Wall was constructed in Smithfield Market. Liz Taylor and Richard Burton stayed at the Gresham Hotel for ten weeks, attracting much attention around the city. Afterwards, the materials of the wall were recycled to form part of Saint Christopher’s School, the first Travellers’ school in Ireland. Situated in Cherry Orchard, the school was organized and run independently of the Department of Education by civil rights activist Grattan Puxon.

Provoking an active remembering that reinterprets the role of history, Lynch’s speculative energy circulates in several more artworks. A collection of photographs and artifacts consider the remains and rumours surrounding Richard Long’s artworks in the Irish landscape; Joseph Beuys’ Irish visit of 1974; the last street Walter Benjamin saw; and a vandalized statue of Bill Clinton.

About the artist: Sean Lynch was born in Kerry in 1978. He studied history at the University of Limerick and fine art at the Stadelschule in Frankfurt, and is currently an artist-in-residence at the Irish Museum of Modern Art. He has completed solo exhibitions at Heaven’s Full, London (2008), Galway Arts Centre (2007), Limerick City Gallery of Art (2007), and has featured in recent group exhibitions at the Lewis Glucksman Gallery, Cork and Office Baroque, Antwerp.

Sean Lynch was awarded the Gallery of Photography Artist Award for 2008. An article previewing the exhibition written by Isobel Harbison, appears in the autumn edition of the Irish Arts Review, media partner for the Award.

Opening reception: Wednesday September 24, 6pm

Artist’s Talk: Wednesday October 22 at 1.15pm

Gallery of Photography is open: Tuesday - Saturday 11am-6pm and on Sunday from 1pm-6pm

All events and access to the Gallery are free.

For further information, press scans or to interview the artist, please contact: Tanya Kiang, Gallery of Photography 353-1-6714654, tanya@galleryofphotography.ie

Labels: art, visual art

posted by Ian Alden Russell @ Monday, September 29, 2008