The long over due up date on my trip to Iceland.
On returning from Iceland it was time to put a body of work together for my first solo exhibition and this was done with the wonderful guidance of curator Martha McCullough.
Martha herself studied fine art printmaking at The Glasgow School of Art and went on to become an Associate Lecturer at Sheffield University, then returning to Scotland as Director of Street Level Photoworks in Glasgow and later went back to The Glasgow School of Art as a Lecture in Fine Art. This was a wonderful opportunity to avail of her guidance and expertise as I handed over my photos to her.
It was also an experience of growth as Martha made the whole selection of the works to be shown, I stepped back and absorbed her wisdom for the selection she made for my exhibition. It is quite a thing to surrender your work to another and go with their choices which would have been different from mine. But when she showed them to me and explained why I could not have been happier and feel I learned so much from the whole process.
Next was the printing, I choose to have my images etched on to aluminium following having a sample sent to see the finish. I loved the effect of it.
Also I wanted no frames as I felt this would restrict the images and I wanted to give the feeling of vastness and wildness captured in the images.
There was a bit of a scary moment when the images got lost en-route from Germany, almost postponing the opening of my exhibition but the came with a day to spare for hanging.. nothing like cutting it fine.
The exhibit was hung under the guidance of Martha and with the wonderful help of her partner Harry. It looked breathtaking, just standing back and seeing all my work hung on the walls was a moment to treasure.
My work.... The Outer Edge.
PRESS RELEASE
Since the 2007 “Edge Centering” project, Artlink have been forging creative connections with arts organisations and artists based in similar remote communities on the edge of the Atlantic, in both Iceland and Norway.
As part of this initiative,fostering reciprocal inspiration and support, Donegal artist Jacqui Devenney Reed this year visited one of the participating organisations, Skriduklaustur based in East Iceland, as an artist in residence. Here she was able to pursue her creative quest to “trail the journey of the Monks who left a small isolated pier in west Donegal, to travel in a hide-covered boat to Iceland” and understand more about the cultural connections that have been forged over centuries.
“The Outer Edge” is the result of this journey. The selected works draw inspiration from the raw authenticity of the landscape, evoking the spirit of challenging self-discovery that characterizes the narrative of Gaelic monasticism from centuries past. These images suggest not simply a sense of isolation but also examine the lure of such barren places.
“The Outer Edge”, is just the first iteration of a larger body of work, which will explore how interacting with such rugged and inhospitable landscapes can strip away the thin veneer of civilization that dominates our self-awareness and sense of centrality in all things, and helps us imagine a more authentic connection to the world we inhabit.
These powerful images capture the sense of “otherness” that is characteristic of both islands, of Iceland and Ireland, and so the images made there chime with the creative culture here, and we find an empathy and connection between our communities on the outer edge of the Atlantic.”
My exhibition "The Outer Edge"was opened by New York born artist and photographer Richard Noble which was a pure delight. He viewed it through the eyes of a photographer and talked encouragingly about my work and shared my vision, talked about my technical abilities and style which was all very complimentary, I have to say hearing his praise made my day.
I loved all aspects of this journey that began with a day trip to Teelin Pier, Donegal and seeing a stone carving and learning of our connection to Iceland.
A journey to be continued..
