mairead dunne
artist's statement
In my work I create environments of ambiguity brought on by altered
perspective and sensory stimulation. The work explores an imaginary
dream world filled with illusionary and surreal like imagery. I work
predominately in the medium of paint, but the work often takes on the
form of installation, combining element of sculpture and traditional
craft techniques.
The work has soft nostalgic elements where I create evocation of place
and memory by minimal elements. I am interested in the notion of dreams
and the ambiguity of their interpretation and it is this fragmented
world that inspires the work.
My work illustrates ideas centred around gravity, where interconnecting
themes of suspension and isolation inform my work and choice of
materials. I am interested in the uncanny landscape and the
relationship of the figure to this space.
The figure of the child is a reoccurring theme where the child acts as
a symbol of innocence and the past. There are strong connections with
naivety and the idea of manipulation of the innocent in the work where
I examine the self and the other. The work carries a double meaning
where there are strong playful connotations but ultimately there lays a
darker undercurrent.
The painted image of the child remains static while in contrast I often
work with material that includes elements of haphazard and change such
as balloons and organic matter. The child remains timeless in the work
where I use childhood games to illustrate the notion of the modern
child as strategically placed and a reminder of our limitations due to
social controls.