Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Magic in Make, Break, Make! What to do in Ireland: Butler Gallery, Kilkenny Castle


What is it?
 The inside of a piece of tree bark, with swirling snail tracks mapping out mazes? Some kind of bizarre stalactite & stalagmite filled cave? A pirate ship? Bubble filled ice atop a puddle on a frosty day? Well, that’s what Paul Mosse’s pieces whispered to me- what will they say to you? Go to his exhibit Make, Break, Make in Butler Gallery, Kilkenny Castle by 4 March to find out! 
Untitled (Pink) by Paul Mosse.  Photo, Butler Gallery
Pirate ship?
My photo of Untitled(Pink) seems much more sinister with the dark background. A tornado destroyed house?
My close up of the wood, Untitled (Pink)
Look at the shadow cast by this piece- Ireland?? 'Deep Polystyrene Holes' Paul Mosse
When you get up close, the polystyrene is very, intricate, like the crystals you can buy in 'dragon's eggs'
Like snow and ice, and grit. I nearly expected the bit on the left to drip melting drops..
'Burnt Plastic' by Paul Mosse.
This part reminded me of puddle ice
.
From 'Black Web' by Paul Mosse.
remember in childhood I found huge flakes of pine bark whose inner side had what looked like swirly paths on it; they were somehow carved by insects- amazing! This piece vividly brought that back .

White Grid, Paul Mosse
What does this make you think of, or feel?


White Grid, Paul Mosse


IS it really 'something?'

There is a very good article in the Irish Times discussing this exhibition; do have a read. My approach to art in this blog is light; many times with the child in mind--- my own wide-eyed wonder, or that of actual children; often those not immersed in the art world already--- the article will give interesting information I've not. Butler Gallery a great place to see art, no matter how you approach it. In my own childlike way I've been quite fascinated by many of their exhibits, and they have wonderful outreach programmes for adults and children if you want to explore further.
In case you don't read the article, I'd like to include this quote, which gives another window into the works:

“Textured and sculptural” is putting it mildly. They [the pieces] come across as venerable and ancient. The title of one modestly scale piece, Black Holes , sets the tone, and actually it’s a beautiful little piece that does seem to contain vast, unimaginable energies. Untitled (Pink), on the other hand, is a snapshot of one of two things: a universe bursting into life, or collapsing into a black hole. Or neither, of course, because Mosse doesn’t depict anything. It is a compelling, strange object, delicate but, again, charged with immense energy. 

There are plenty of other pieces besides what I've sampled for you here, and they all deserve close up scrutiny, so head to Kilkenny and the Butler Gallery to see what you make of Make, Break, Make.
Enjoy!

2 comments:

  1. His work reminds me of the worlds within worlds that you find on the forest floor or in an old tree trunk, lichens and such, or maybe not......

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    Replies
    1. Yes- I think so, too. Worlds within worlds; magic! :-)

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