Irish Art Ep 12 - Our first interview from across the pond

This is episode two of a two-part interview with visual artist Maria Jordan OReilly. Part one can be found here.

Maria Jordan OReilly is a late-emerging artist in her sixties. Her work is quite eclectic coming from a place of emotion and expresses that through using colour and texture, a mixture of acrylic pouring, mixed media, markers and watercolour. The subject matter of her pieces very from quite dark ideology to very light-hearted and almost whimsical depictions.

In this episode, we talk with the director of the RHA, Patrick Murphy. The Royal Hibernian Academy is an artist-based and artist-oriented institution in Ireland, founded in Dublin in 1823.

In this episode we talk to the incredible artist Francis Tansey who is a professional artist, an international painter best known for his work in geometric, hardedge colour field with op art elements. Tansey studied in the NCAD and is interested in the development of colour in an abstract sense. His influences include Bauhaus, Kandinsky & the colour theory master Johannes Itten. Tansey’s research focuses on how colour is perceived as an international language. In 1985 he became the first artist in residence at the Butler Gallery in Co. Kilkenny, where his brightly coloured geometric acrylic paintings caused great interest.

In this episode, we talk about what we’ve been up to in the studio since we last spoke. We talk about the new exhibitions in the RHA at the moment & how Eilis O’Connell RHA had a studio space here ages ago. Andrew constructed some linen stretchers for attracta to stretch linen on and has started some drawings. Andrew talks about how important it is to have a square piece of wood & Sarah invents a new way to frame wooden pieces. We find the missing varnish & how not to let toddlers play with oil-based primer and how to get it off safely without turpentine. Attracta and Andrew have received their 1st vaccines & Attracta is retraining to administer vaccines. Andrew is building a boat! Sarah has made a fairy village & has released a fairy door kit for you to make your own. She also discusses being a virtual assistant/ art photography & social media strategy management. We discuss plans together by way of cataloguing all the works in the archive which we are hoping to open up to the public soon.