The LAB in Foley Street is pleased to present an exhibition of drawings and paintings by Paul McKinley from 24th July to 26th August (preview 23rd July).
Paul McKinley is the Red Stables Irish Residential Studio Award Recipient for 2007/2008. This new body of work comprises historical and mythological aspects of St. Anne's Park and the surrounding areas.
The show’s title, “Under the Bluebells” refers to a Neil Jordan newspaper article, where he reminisces about walking through St. Anne’s Park. In this article, Jordan explores the idea that there is always an undercurrent of activity in the park, beyond what is immediately seen.
ENDS
Notes to the Editor
Exhibition runs from 24th July to 26th August from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Saturday. Admission is free.
Paul McKinley graduated from Sheffield Hallam University in 1996 with a BA Hons in Fine Art Painting. Now based in Dublin, McKinley was awarded the Nissan Art Project in 2007 resulting in his first solo exhibition in the RHA, Dublin. He has exhibited regularly throughout Ireland including solo exhibitions in the Old Museum Arts Centre, Belfast, 2006 and The Market Place Arts Centre, Armagh, 2003. Recent group exhibitions include 178 RHA Annual Exhibition (Invited Artist) Dublin, 2008, Winter Salon, Temple Bar Gallery & Studios, Dublin 2008 and Public/Private, The Red Stables, Dublin 2008. Public collections include Nissan Ireland, AIB, OPW, Kildare County Council, private collections in Ireland, UK, & France.
McKinley's previous practice tended to eschew narrative for a more open ended reading of his work. The Red Stables Residency has significantly changed his methodology from a standpoint of implied narrative to one where the narrative (whether experienced, historical or imagined) drives the work. Stories that relate to certain locations both personal and researched are now the starting points for this new work.
McKinley references the historical land agreements of the park's previous owners, and the stories of estranged family members that lived on the then private estate, along with personal life affecting experiences that occurred during the residency and a fantastical imagining of what or who could inhabit these spaces.