Ag Machnamh Datha - Thinking Colour
Ag Machnamh Datha
Charles Walsh
Tá an teideal " Ag Machnamh Datha " an-fhóirsteanach do thaispeántas Charles Walsh nó sin go díreach an rud atá ag gabháil ar aghaidh. Is ionann cuid pictiúirí Charles agus machnaimh a bhaineann úsáid as dath leis an comhrá a chur in úil. Nochtann sé coincheapanna uilíocha atá go bunúsach faoi thionchar fhealsúnacht an Oirthir. Théann an spás seo i ngnóthai spioradádta siar ina chuimhe go dtí go raibh sé tuairim is sé bliana d'aois agus ó shin i leith rinne sé staidéar le manach Búdaíoch agus le bean rialta. Ní bheadh sé fíor a rá go bhfuil Charles claonta i dtreo aon chineál fhealsúnacht Bhúdaíoch ar leith nó bhréagnódh sin a chuid éagoitinne. Tá a dhearcadh suntasach féin aige fá fhealsúnacht an Oirthir, dearcadh an ealaíontóra. Níl rud ar bith ceartchreidmheach ag baint le Charles nó lena chuid ealaíne.
Seo an chéad taispéantas aonair do Charles. Tá saothar ann a bhfuil sé ag obair orthu le cúpla bliain. Léiríonn a thaispéantas " na torthaí dheireanacha " ar phróiseas fhada. I súile Charles, tá gach céim den phróiseas seo ina ghné thábhachtach ar leith a chuidíonn leis an aistear a thaistealaíonn gach pictúir. I dtús báire, meascann sé a chuid oladhathanna féin, rud atá sé a dhéanamh le deich mbliana, ag coraíocht le neamhchinnteacht na dtorthaí. Bíonn sé streachailt le han-ord. Le linn domh a bheith ar cuairt chuig a stiúideo, thaispéain sé bosca de dhathlí gorm domh - "Monastral Blue"- a bhí thar a bheith meallachach! Is anseo a thosaíonn an rinceáil inghreamaithe idir theannas an dá pholaraíocht. Is é an teannas seo atá mar bhunús ag an phlé atá ag gabháil ar aghaidh laistigh de gach uile canbhás. Céim uile is ea an siortú don dromchla "ceart". Tá Charles ag cuardach péint a ligfeas don dathlí an solas a leathú, chan an dromchla, sa dóigh go dtig le duine an dathú a aireachtáil agus a bheith ar maos ann. Is le saorlíníocht atá gach líne nó ciumhais déanta - cruthaithe ag an duine daonna agus ar an tséala sin, níl siad iomlán críochnúil.
Taispeánann seo go bhfuil an t-ealaíontóir ar a dhícheall, rud atá ina scáile macasamhlach den iarracht daonna. Déanann an t-ealaíontoír gach dath a phéinteáil arís agus arís go dtí go bhfuil sé sásta leis an chothromaíocht iomlán. Ciallaíonn seo go bhfuil doimhne inbhraite sna pictíuirí. Ní pictiúirí ollmhór iad; ní ráitis mhóra iad atá i bhfách le callán mór a thógáil. Is imchochaill amhairc iad de phointí le linn turais, "céimeanna tuisceana", mar a déarfa, atá ina macalla den Bhúdachas. Is leathanaigh iad na pictiúrí seo ó leabhar ar aistear Charles, aistear s'againne , an t-aistear uilíoch .... an t-aistear ar indibhidiú an duine féin, céimeanna comhfheasa a bhfuil fíorthábhacht leo sa chothromaíocht ina iomláine.
Léiríonn an saothar seo umhlaíocht chiúin atá domhain agus mall. Ní leagann siad síos dóigh cheart nó dóigh chontráilte ach cuireann siad inár láthair an cinéal cothromaíochta a d'fhéadfadh a bheith ag na comhpháirteanna. Mar sin de, is ionann cuid pictiúirí Charles agus mandalas machnamhacha ..... glacann siad am.
Úna Campbell - Feabhra 2002
Thinking Colour
Charles Walsh
‘Thinking colour’ is an apt title for Charles Walsh’s exhibition because this is precisely what is going on. Charles’s paintings are meditations that use colour to dialogue. He dialogues universal concepts that are fundamentally influenced by eastern philosophy. To say that Charles is biased to any particular spiritual school would contradict his originality. He has approached eastern philosophy with the unique and individual perspective of an artist. There is nothing orthodox about neither Charles nor his art.
This is Charles’s first solo exhibition and contains works made over the last two to three years. His exhibition presents the ‘final products’ of a lengthy process. For Charles each stage of this process is a particular and valuable component that contributes to the journey each painting travels. To begin with he mixes his own oil paints an experiment he has been engaged with for over ten years, jostling the unpredictability of its’ results. He struggles with chaos. Whilst visiting his studio he showed me a tub of ‘Monastral Blue’ pigment, it was truly seductive. Here begins the inherent dance of the tension of two polarities. It is this tension that is at the root of the discussion contained within each canvas. Another stage is the struggle to find the ‘right’ surface. Charles is searching to find a paint that will allow the pigment to give off the light not the surface, so one can experience and swim in the colour. Every line or edge is made free hand; they are made by a human being and therefore are not truly perfect. This shows the artist striving and mirrors human endeavour. Each area of colour is painted over and over until the artist feels he has resolved the overall balance. This gives the paintings a tangible depth.
These paintings are not monumental; they are not big statements that want to make a big noise. They are visual encapsulations of points along a journey; they are, to reflect Buddhism, merely ‘stages of enlightenment’. These paintings are pages taken from the book that is Charles journey, our journey, the universal journey …the journey of the individuation of self, stages of consciousness, which in turn plays a crucial role in the balance of the whole.
These works, I believe, have a quiet humility that is deep and slow. The paintings do not prescribe a right or wrong ‘way’; they present the potential balance of the components. Charles’s paintings are meditative mandalas therefore ……they take time.