ARCO 2007 Madrid: Gemma Browne Diana Copperwhite Amy O' Riordan

Kevin Kavanagh is pleased to participate in ARCO ’07

ARCO PROJECTS - Stand No. PR 08
Madrid, Spain - 15th -19th February 2007
http://www.ifema.es

The Future is Female brings together three young Irish artists. Each of these artists explores ideas of feminity within their work and what it is to be a woman in this world. Through the media of painting, drawing and photography, ideas of consumerism, advertising, love, sex, memory and innocence are explored. What connects all artists is a certain confidence, vibrant use of colour and assertiveness of image making.

The paintings of Gemma Browne capture the freshness and possibilities of youth. The vivid blue backgrounds are reminiscent of endless warm summers, of happier times fully of possibilty. Similarites can be seen in each of the works, creating uniformity. Each girl differs slightly – a different outfit, a different smile – yet behind the smiles, there is knowingness, a confidence. The individual loses her fixed identity within the crowd.

Whether painting from sources that are deeply personal, or images from mass media, Diana Copperwhite’s paintings relate strongly to memory. How we see, how we remember and how we know, are the themes which weave through her work – her paintings revealing a glimpse of a parallel universe balanced between the remembered and real, the abstract and representational.

Sugar for the eye instead of the tongue, Eye Candy is not all prettiness and sweetness. Beneath the lipstick and gloss, Amy O’Riordan’s images say much more. Large-scale photographic self-portaits and studies display the colourful excesses of fashion and consumerism, creating vibrant and richly detailed images.

The Gallery would like to acknowledge the support of Culture Ireland.