our Q&A with this month’s featured artist…
Bio
Lorraine Cleary is a survivor of domestic abuse and a volunteer with Adapt House women's refuge. She is a co-founder of collaborative walking project klaW. Having ambitions to expand her practice to become more socially engaged she has joined the Tipperary Task Force Arts committee and aspires to support their endeavours in creating an arts community collective.
She graduated with a First-Class Honours MA in I-Media from UL in 2016 and received a First-Class Honours BA in Fine Art in 2014 from LSAD and was highly commended for the 2014 programme of the Undergraduate Awards in both the Visual Arts & the Media & Arts Categories.
Cleary has had her work published in numerous art magazines, she has participated in residencies and has been awarded numerous art grants from Tipperary Arts Council and was a recipient of an arts bursary from the Arts Council Ireland.
1 - Could you explain your practice? Only you know why you do what you do.
I operate a sculptural-based practice that embraces common materials and textiles. The themes explored in my work derive from trauma and coercion associated with domestic abuse embedded within a misogynistic culture that has been ingrained in Irish society for decades. As a survivor of Domestic Abuse, I feel passionate about using my work to raise awareness and encourage an ongoing dialogue on abuse. I carefully choose objects from the domestic space to respond visually to the difficulties faced by the female as she navigates through a misogynistic culture. Despite being steeped in themes of injustice and oppression I try to make work that is focused on the strength and endurance of women as they steer through impossible situations.
I work intuitively with materials; and have succeeded in building an art practice that is sympathetic to sustainability beginning by salvaging objects from the domestic sphere. When an idea presents itself; I assemble materials into piles and assess them to consider the possibilities. My working methodology combines hand-stitched textiles with reconstructed found objects to communicate themes of oppression. Textiles have become an integral part of my practice; all are handstitched meaning that I work late into the night to complete pieces. In this sense I tend to divide my working day into two sections, the day is spent in the studio working on built pieces and my nights are spent stitching. Titles are of the utmost importance to me. They become part of the work, part of the story. Their purpose is to encourage the viewer to consider the possible meanings behind the work. They introduce the viewer to possible scenarios that play out using the viewer’s imagination to reconcile what is happening in the work
2 - Is art relevant today?
A strong yes to this question! Art is so important; as well as serving as a means of enjoyment, art is instrumental in shouting about relevant issues that we need to talk about such as climate issues, women’s rights, gender equality, racial hate, war, etc… Art encompasses a diverse range of mediums from film, photography, animation, performance, theatre, visual art, traditional art, installation art, text works, music, design, ceramics, textiles, socially-engaged art, community art and more. Without these forms of expression, our world would be bare. Art is essential to our mental well-being. Art can bring communities together.
Title: GasLight. - Year: 2022. - Medium: Mixed Media (Upcycled materials) -- Venue: Hamilton Gallery, Sligo
Title: esTranged - Year: 2022 - Medium: Mixed Media (Upcycled materials) - Venue: Ballaí Bana Gallery of Cultúrlann Mc Adam Ó Fiaich, Belfast - UPCOMING SHOW opens December 1st 2022
Title: eStranged - Year: 2022 - Medium: Mixed Media (Upcycled materials) - Venue: Ballaí Bana Gallery of Cultúrlann Mc Adam Ó Fiaich, Belfast - UPCOMING SHOW opens December 1st 2022
3 – We are always asked what other artists influence us, we want to know what art you don’t like and which influences you?
The art and artists that I am drawn to hold significant context within their works. Socio-political artworks inspire me. Columbian artist Doris Salcedo is among those artists. Salcedo’s work gives form to pain, fear, trauma, and loss; she produces handcrafted sculptures and site-specific installations that encourage individual and collective mourning. Artist Rachel Whiteread uses the method of casting, sometimes by creating monumental sculptures from the domestic sphere to communicate themes of loss and absence. The poetic film works of Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky have also influenced me in the past. Tarkovsky saw beauty in the every day and recognized that emotion was an important part of the creative process. His father was a poet and this is an evident influence in his film works. There are so many artists whose works I admire such as Sterling Ruby, The Guerilla Girls, Tracey Emin, Louise Bourgeois, Jessie Jones, Rachel Fallon, and many many more…….
4- If you could go back 10-20 years what would you tell your younger self?
This is a tricky question because of my past. I know some artists are successful in keeping their art live and their personal lives separate, but for me it is impossible. My practice is so entwined in my memories and experiences of the past. Do I go back and tell myself to leave that abusive relationship sooner, but what would be the butterfly effect of that decision? Now we are aware that the most dangerous time in an abusive relationship for a woman is when she leaves. Also, if I went back and altered my past, how would that affect my children, would it erase their existence? So going back would just not affect my future but also theirs. I would tell my younger self, STAY STRONG, STAY SAFE.
5 – If you could go forward 10-20 years what do you hope to have done or not done?
I have chronic anxiety and have suffered panic attacks so the way I function day-to-day is just that day-to-day! I try to live in the NOW and try not to focus too much on the future but at the same time I am ambitious and I work really hard. I hope in the future I am making work that is impactful. I hope that my work remains humble and that I have succeeded in my goal of community engagement. I also have plans to work collaboratively and I hope these ambitions are achieved
Title: Vessels of Strength: She - Her- Womb - Warrior - Year: 2022 - Medium: 365 Handstitched Textiles constructed from pre-worn women’s clothing Venue: Excel Gallery, Tipperary
Title: Vessels of Strength: She - Her- Womb - Warrior - Year: 2022 - Medium: 365 Handstitched Textiles constructed from pre-worn women’s clothing Venue: Excel Gallery, Tipperary