An exhibition of work, made in response to an artwork from the Irish Museum of Modern Art’s Collection, by students from the Convent of Mercy, Roscommon, opens to the public at the Roscommon Arts Centre on Saturday 10 November 2007. Ty Brand Ed, organised as part of IMMA’s National programme, features the work of transition year students in response to the video work Sloganeering, 1-4, 2001, by Irish artist Isabel Nolan.
The first stage of this process involved the students engaging in a series of ‘think-tank’ sessions in relation to the direction and the theme of the exhibition. The sessions included visits to IMMA to discuss the Museum’s Collection and possible work for the exhibition. The group unanimously selected Isabel Nolan’s thought provoking work, Sloganeering 1-4, as the central element of the exhibition. This work humorously explores notions of identity using a white T-shirt on which Nolan repeatedly scribbles slogans. These slogans are underlined, added to and ultimately cast away as the artist takes off her shirt to start writing on a fresh one worn underneath. In this work Nolan creates a character who is trying, somewhat desperately, to communicate a sense of their identity, a person who is obviously frustrated, confused and inconsistent, but is nevertheless attempting to be sincere. This work explores the complexities of identity and how it can be reduced to clichés, it also looks at how in today’s culture communication is often reduced to sound bites
Working together the students created a series of responses to Nolan’s video work using the same medium of the T-shirt. They, like Nolan, explored the notion of identity and the role of communication in our society. Commenting on this process the student’s said “this project has opened our eyes to the world of slogans and advertising in general. As a group we have had the opportunity to explore and expand our creative sides”. Their responses are exhibited alongside Nolan’s work.
IMMA’s National Programme is designed to create access opportunities to the visual arts in a variety of situations and locations in Ireland. Using the Collection of the Irish Museum of Modern Art and exhibitions generated by the Museum, the National Programme facilitates the creation of exhibitions and other projects for display in a range of locations around the country. The National Programme establishes the Museum as inclusive, accessible and national, de-centralising the Collection, and making it available to communities in their own localities, on their own terms, in venues with which the audience is comfortable and familiar.
Ty Brand Ed runs until 14 December 2007 at the Roscommon Arts Centre, Circular Road, Roscommon, Co Roscommon
Roscommon Arts Centre
Gallery opening hours: Tuesday to Friday 10.00am – 5.30pm
The gallery is also open on performance evenings from 7.15pm – 8.30pm
Telephone: 090-662 5824
Email: [email protected]
For further information and images please contact Monica Cullinane or Patrice Molloy at Tel: +353 1 612 9900; Email: [email protected]
6 November 2007