Third year Glass and Ceramic students in NCAD have been very busy these last few weeks, labouring on while the newly graduated 4th years finally relaxed All their hard work paid off however at the opening of Mud & Sand last Thursday at Gallery Zozimus on Francis St.
Zozimus represents over 120 artists and is Dublin's only ceramics gallery. Just around the corner from NCAD, the gallery has a strong relationship with the college and regularly exhibits work from ceramics undergraduates Their exhibitions have always been a great success for gallery and artists alike and this one was no different - opening night saw the gallery full to capacity and a lovely evening was enjoyed by all.
The work on display is as diverse as the students who made it; from Kathy Burke's carefully considered ceramic multiples to Etaoin O'Reily's playful and brightly coloured 'Buggaplants' the work displayed shows personality and craftsmanship. It is no surprise to see little red-stickers popping up all over the exhibition - these beautiful pieces, are very reasonably priced.
The 3rd year glass students; Mags O'Dea, Gwyn Grace and Sadhbh Mowlds stood their own amongst the larger number of ceramics students showing both blown and fused glass work.
Mags O'Dea presented 'Transparent' which comprised of delicate pate de verre sculptures of hot-water bottles on wiry beds. Her work emphasises the limitations of social care in hospitals. It is worth noting that Mags worked as a theatre nurse before deciding to pursue art so no doubt the subject is close to home.
The
hot water bottle is a metaphor for the patient’s feelings of isolation and
vulnerability, it's position on the unforgiving wire mattress highlighting the lack of homely comfort and security patients feel as they wait on trolleys.
Gwyn Grace presented 'Boglands' a collection of sculptural vessels in patte de verre glass, the fragility of which depicts the delicate state of the Irish bog-lands; her forms and colours came from the tiny Sundew plant, a protected species, native to the bog.
Pate de Verre is a technique of making glass forms out of crushed glass powder. While the technique allows for a great deal of detail with colour it is notoriously delicate.
Gwyn has been involved with the Irish Peatland Conservation Council for a number of years and this project was inspired by her work with them.
Last but not least Sadhbh Mowlds presented 'one man's trash... is another woman's weird obsession'. These beautiful cane-worked glass plastic bags blowing in the imaginary wind are about the significance of a common object that is often overlooked and also about translating the ephemerality of billowing plastic into something solid and frozen.
Sadhbh, Mags and Gwyn will all be showing work in the Botanic Gardens exhibition, Sculpture in Context in September.
Well done to all the artists showing in Gallery Zozimus at present, the hard work shows. If you haven't seen it yet there's still time, the exhibition runs until July 7th!
Written by Meadhbh McIlgorm
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