Speaking of Which... is a new series of short films with eleven, contemporary Irish artists who are both established and emerging in their careers led by The Dock in Carrick on Shannon in collaboration with The LAB Gallery in Dublin. This new series of short interviews with Irish artists was developed for teachers and arts organisations to be used in an educational setting.
Read more about the series
The inspiration for these online films comes from the desire to create an opportunity for young people to engage with visual arts culture and to give them a unique insight into arts practices, methods and motivations through the words of practicing artists. The series also provides an opportunity for artists to communicate with a young audience. The artists involved are emerging artists at the beginning of their careers and more established artists taking risks in their practice.
These videos are ideal for use in an educational setting by teachers and arts organizations, and a fascinating opportunity to hear and learn more about the art making process. If you are interested in using them in your learning please contact us for a full resource document. Email Laura Mahon, Visual Arts & Education Manager on thedockvisualarts@gmail.com
About Gemma Browne
In Gemma Browne's artwork, female characters are doll-like and unreal. They do not depict a particular person or story but are fragments of memories or are drawn as emotional responses to events. She creates fake environments in her work; Houses look like doll houses and nature is a suggested garden or imaginary place. The figures and sets are like props for different feelings. Her colours are usually bright, varied, and enticing, but there is a vaguely sinister disquietude present in the pieces. Equally, the subjects depicted can be beautiful, say, a doll's face, a flower, or a dress, but there is also a sense of frustration in the scenarios. Browne draws and paints very instinctively based on mood or feeling but there are also recurrent feminist themes in her pictures, as the homes or pretty gardens could also be trapping, domestic environments. There is a disjoint between her subjects and their settings, they appear to be fragmented or out of place. There is beauty and exuberance in her work and also hints of discomfort and frustration simmering under the surface.
Gemma Browne is an Irish artist born in London, UK but based in Dublin. She attended the Crawford College of Art in Cork and has an M.A from Birmingham College of Art in the UK. She has exhibited widely in Ireland and internationally and has received many awards including from the Arts Council of Ireland. Her recent shows include Queen of the Dusk, which is on at Kevin Kavanagh Gallery, Dublin; Paper Cuts group show at Saatchi Gallery London; SuprEYES at the Lexicon Gallery, Dún Laoghaire; and Faces, Places and Spaces at New Art Projects, London; When Supplies Last in Seattle; and Got It For Cheap at Agnes B HQ in Paris and at The Hole Gallery, New York City. She has taken part in ARCO Madrid with the Kevin Kavanagh Gallery, Athina Athens, Manchester Contemporary and Atlanta Contemporary art fairs.