April 2008: Ashford Gallery, RHA brings national touring
exhibition of painters to Ballina Arts Centre, Ballina, Co. Mayo.

Venue:             Ballina Arts Centre, Barrett St., Ballina, Co. Mayo.

Dates:             April 2 – May 3, 2008.

As part of the RHA’s touring exhibition programme whilst closed for redevelopment, Ashford gallery co-ordinator Mark St. John Ellis has curated an exciting exhibition of contemporary painting that will tour 4 venues in 2008.

Entitled The Plinian Sponge, maybe? this exhibition reflects the eclecticism of contemporary painting in Ireland. The 16 exhibiting artists (7 women and 9 men) show an artistic knowledge and attitude that is in step with international practice. The artists are Anne Hendrick, Ann Quinn, Cara Thorpe, Claire Kerr, Colin Martin, Eoin O'Connor, Graham Chorlton, Graham Crowley, John Beattie, Jonathan Hunter, Kate Warner, Laura Brennan, Leda Scully, Phillipa Sutherland, Ross McDonnell and Thomas Brezing.

The title of the exhibition The Plinian Sponge, maybe? was inspired by a quote from De Disciplinis by Juan Luis Vives, referring to the ancient Roman philosopher Pliny the Elder: ‘Those things that happen at random or by chance are not done by art – as, for example, the picture of a horse foaming at the mouth, which was the result of the painters’ having thrown a sponge at the picture in a fit of anger.’

Curator Mark St. John Ellis explores the old Academic perception of painting as an arduous and lengthy process versus the spontaneity of the modern painting movement. Artist and viewer are now dealing with the randomness and chance of the drip, the splash, the smudge, the sanding back and paring back of the paint, the different textures and finishes, the use of too little or too much oil in one painting, the lack of paint stability and conformity on one canvas.

‘The painting is dead’ debate has raged from the discovery of the first camera obscura. This exhibition illustrates that today’s painters use techniques that reference the whole history of painting. Also included in the exhibition are 2 DVD and 1 slide projection works by John Beattie exploring the process of painting.

For more information please contact Ashford Gallery co-ordinator Mark St John Ellis at 01 6612558 mark@rhagallery.ie or RHA Marketing at 01 6612558 ext 111 info@rhagallery.ie
April venue details: 2 April- 3 May 2008
Ballina Arts Centre, Barrett St., Ballina Tel: (0960) 73593

10 May - 28 June
Roscommon Arts Centre, Circular Road, Roscommon,
Co. Roscommon. Tel: (090) 6625824

14 - 27 July
Galway & Mayo Institute of Technology as part of the Galway Arts Festival. (01) 6612558

1 August - 30 August
West Cork Arts Centre, North St., Skibbereen, Co. Cork_Tel: (028) 22090