Ciarán Murphy; Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily

Sat. 22 Jan. – Sat. 12 Mar. 2022

In Ciarán Murphy’s new paintings we encounter an unsettling array of things: strange landscapes, insects, birds, body parts, letters, architectural features and abstract shapes. Objects seem in varying states of flux; things float, or seem in the midst of changing form, while other things seem barely there. The work reflects the artists long standing attempt to grapple with a contemporary world that is completely saturated with images. Images that embody the paradoxical status of being both completely over-bearing, yet irresistible, both entrancing and anxiety provoking. They exert an almost ghostly weightless presence, blurring past, present and future; and indeed our very notions of what constitutes reality.

Within this solo exhibition of work, the artist has selected a number of paintings from The Niland Collection with which he sees parallels to his own artistic interests. These include paintings by Cecil King, Constance Markievicz and Jack Butler Yeats. A short text titled (a)part by the artist accompanies the work and explores possible resonances these works may have for our contemporary moment.