Pasáiste - Passage
Pasáiste
Sandy Turley
Bhain an t-ealaíontóir Sandy Turley, a bhfuil cónaí uirthi in Ard Mhacha, céimíocht den chéad ghrád sna hEalaíona Uaisle amach ar na mallaibh ó Ollscoil Uladh. Le cúig seachtaine anuas chaith sí a cuid ama ag obair sna stiúideonna i gCeardlann na gCroisbhealaí mar ár gcéad ealaíontóir cónaithe agus cuirfidh a taispeántas, a tháinig óna cuid oibre anseo, críoch lenár gcéad chlár bhliantúil. Tá taispeántais curtha i láthair aici ar fud an tuaiscirt agus níos faide ó bhaile in áiteacha mar An Íseal Tír agus Barcelona.
Is deis spéisiúil agus suimiúil é nuair a thagann ealaíontóir cónaithe le hobair a dhéanamh in áit. Mar nach mbíonn teorainn ar bith leis na féidearthachtaí a d’fhéadfadh theacht chun cinn, is deacair le héinne fíos a bheith acu roimh réidh caidé an dearcadh a bheas ag an ealaíontóir féin. Obair insealbhaite is mó a bhíonn ar siúl ag Sandy, a chiallaíonn go mbaintear úsáid as an suíomh agus an ionad agus go mbíonn a dtionchar le feiceáil san obair chríochnaithe. Mar sin, cuireann an
t-ealaíontóir, a thagann ar cuairt agus a bhíonn ag feidhmiú mar ‘shaoi’, a ‘freagra’ in iúl.
Shílfeadh duine gurbh iad an talamh agus an tírdhreach na nithe is mó a chaithfeadh a dtionchar ar ealaíontóir cónaithe ach i dtaca le Sandy de, is iad na daoine agus a gceangal leis an talamh is mó a mhuscail suim inti. Is mór an tionchar a bhí ag ‘Droichead na nDeor’ in aice le Mám na Mucaise ar Sandy. Cén doigh a bhfuair sé an aimn? Cáidé tharla ansin? Chaith Sandy ansin go leor ama ag dul fríd seandoiciméid agus cáipéisí. Sa taispeántas seo choinnigh sí lena téama - ‘cailliúint’ agus ‘díláithreacht’,agus d’fhorbair a cuid módhanna oibre sainiúla féin arís tuilleadh.
Baineann Sandy úsáid as bunábhar éadaigh agus fuaimeanna le scéalta comhchoitianta, dáimh le háit agus an láithreacht neamhbhuan a iniúchadh. Snámhann íomhanna síodúla ar ar ábhar mín ‘organza’ isteach agus amach as fócas, ansin ach gan a bheith ansin, doiléir, taibhsiúil, curtha i láthair mar chuimhní de ghréasán fite. Smaoinigh sí go cúramach ar leagan amach an taispeántais agus cuireann seo ann féin ‘cailliúint’ agus ‘díláithreacht’ in iúl. Ní amháin go ndíríonn na leabhair ghalánta a rinne sí féin le lámh ár n-aird ar an ról tábhachtach a imríonn cáispéisí agus doiciméid i mbuanú na cuimhne ach dírítear ár n-aird, fosta, ar na rúin nó ar na réaltachtaí ceilte a choinníonn siad. Musclaíonn an úsáid a bhaintear as fuaimeanna céadfa eile, éisteach, rud a chaitheann solas eile ar an obair. Ag cur gach rud san áireamh, mar sin, faigheann muid seomra a bheireann léargas beag dúinn ar an tost agus ar na scéalta do-inste a bhaineann lenár gceantar.
Passage
Sandy Turley
Artist Sandy Turley, who lives in Co. Armagh, recently graduated from University of Ulster with a first class honours degree in Fine Art. She has spent the last five weeks working in the studios at the Ceardlann na gCroisbhealach as our first artist in residence and her resulting exhibition completes the first annual programme. Sandy has exhibited throughout the north and further afield in Holland and Barcelona.
It is an interesting opportunity when an artist in residence comes to work as the possibilities are endless, no one can predict what the artists’ perspective will hold. Sandy specialises in installation work, meaning both the location and venue are used and will influence the final piece. Therefore the visiting artist, acting as a ‘seer’ presents her ‘response’.
One might expect that land and the landscape would be the obvious influence for a visiting artist but for Sandy it was people and their relationship to the land that took her interest. The ‘Bridge of Tears’ at Mucais Gap had a big impact, how did it get its’ name? what went on there? Sandy then spent hours pouring over old documents and records. In this exhibition she has maintained her seminal theme ‘loss’ and ‘absence’ and further developed her particular and original way of working. She has examined the issue of emigration from the area and aptly titled her exhibition “Passage”.
Using textiles and sound Sandy explores a collective story, a sense of belonging and the temporariness of presence. Silk-screened images printed on fine almost transparent organza material float in and out of focus, there yet not there, faint, whispered ghosts, presented as woven webs of memories. She carefully considered the layout of the exhibition and this in itself describes ‘loss’ and ‘absence’. Her beautifully crafted hand-made books not only draw our attention to the important role records and documentation hold in harnessing memory but also the secret or hidden realities they contain. The use of sound in the work stimulates another sense, hearing, which brings in another dimension. Considering all the elements then as a whole we have a room that hints at the silent and untold stories from our locality.