EXHIBITIONS
Gestalt Lines
Limerick Printmakers were proud to host Limerick artist and LP studio member Tony O’ Loughlin’s solo exhibition, Gestalt Lines. Tony O’ Loughlin’s collection of drawings and screen prints are dialectical observations, sometimes social and sometimes environmental but always thought provoking. The exibition was officially opened by Jan O’ Sullivan, TD, on Thursday 14th June. The exhibition of original drawings and silkscreen prints continued until Monday 16th July.
Tony’s strong social conscious gives a sincerity readily observed in the work. In his silkscreen prints he uses striking organic patterns of human and animals abstractions as a metaphor for challenging the norm, with harmonic conclusions. His organic patterns are often a metaphor for conflict with the conscious. In his screen prints these patterns are clearly seen in conjunction with everyday objects.
His drawings, while working from a different platform but on the same observations have developed over the years by merging gestalt conversations of multi objects more recently with semi and abstract patterns. Always experimenting and pushing forward, O’ Loughlin’s work has allowed him to shake off the restrictions of conventional form to create a more personal language of expression. As Tony explains
My energy explores man’s insouciance to himself and the environment through visual social comment. Merging narratives, the drawings and prints use everyday objects with organic patterns to create metaphorical solutions.
Being a member of Limerick Printmakers and accessing its professional facilities has allowed Tony the opportunity to both explore his love of and expand his innate skill in silkscreen printmaking. His graphic knowledge developed both during his time in LSAD and as a professional designer of many years, combined with the hands-on process of silkscreen printing facilitates his enjoyment and ability in creating detailed and complex work. Using the process of silkscreen, with its unique colour quality, he produces hand pulled limited editions by abstracting personal thought and social realities, as another outlet for his narrative.
My work observes our environmental negativity to create visual harmonic patterns as a co-existence and not conflict. Man scratches the earth for temporal gain and it is through his everyday man-made objects combined with organic patterns, I create a metaphor to different stimuli. In my drawings and more recently through my silkscreen prints, I merge these entities as a conclusion and response to this insouciance.
