Boundaries Exhibition
exhibition review by Mario Sughi
On July 4th I had the pleasure of attending the opening of the Boundaries Exhibition at the Loft Gallery, a Gallery and now also a café opened to the public since February 2007. It was a very colourful and pleasant evening. The gallery was packed. The joyful colours were those of the artworks occupying the large gallery walls and the summer dresses in the crowd. The fact that most of the paintings and prints are in vibrant colors doesn’t mean that they arouse in the viewer only a sense of joy. Alongside with it a sense of armonious abandon and solitary distance is quite present throughout the exhibition if not the dominant one. The exhibition is a broad selection of paintings and limited edition prints from both established and emerging Irish and non-Irish artists. A large collection of original studio shots of Hollywood stars from the 1930s is also on view.
In the words of the gallery managers (who themselves are artists) it is a show that attempts to distinguish and expose the blurred parameters that define our understanding of what Pop Art is in the 21st Century. Using the language defined by the Pop Artists of the 60s ‘Boundaries’ demonstrates how traditional techniques of painting and print have been appropriated by contemporary artists to describe the popular culture phenomenon.
The quality of the works exhibited is certainly very good and the subjects intriguing and they are presented with great taste. The Loft Gallery is conveniently located close to Pearse station. It is a refreshing spot where the old and new parts of this rapidly changing city merge very naturally. The exhibition runs until August 2007.
Artists exhibiting at the Boundaries Exhibition: Syra Larkin, Mario Sughi, John Nolan, Tony Gunning, Frank Flood, Alan Currie, Mark Baker, Amelie Dearbhla, Barry Hunt, Miguel Angel Mayal, Niall O’Loughlan, Leo Boyd, Joan Alexander, Ana Termes Lis, JJ McCarthy 1930s’ Original Photographs.
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