Known for his hyper gestural paintings, expressionist Artist PIGSY has been resident in the Studios of Ranelagh Arts for the last 18 months. As PIGSY prepares to leave the Studios, we asked him to tell us about his experience of his time in residence in the studio here in Ranelagh Arts. We also asked him to let us know what his future plans are and what exciting things he is getting up to next!
Here is what PIGSY told us:
The past eighteen months have been really great for me while working and creating art in the Studios of Ranelagh Arts. The Ranelagh Arts Centre is a community hub and focal point for all things art here in Ranelagh and it was a buzzy place to be involved in for the past while. Through my work in the studio, not only did I create work that I presented in my solo show here in the Arts Centre, but also got to meet so many other artists and creatives who are all connected to the Arts Centre. Meeting Ranelagh Arts Director Monika Crowley, and then sharing a studio space with her, has been a highlight of my career and although we each do very different work, we are both on the same wavelength and vibed off each other in our professional work as artists. She is an inspiration to me and I will always appreciate her insight and thoughts on my artworks.
Lost in Thought
Along with exhibiting in group shows in the Art Centre, one of the high points of my time here was the presentation of my solo show "Lost in Thought" which opened in April 2023. This exhibition was the culmination of work that I did in Ranelagh Arts Centre and was themed around a small space with a big impression - I described it as "Big ideas in a small space". The series of artworks invited the viewer into my manic and chaotic machinations through the multi-layered and deep thinking offerings which blurred the lines between outsider, street art, punk poetry and expressionist art.
Also for the first time, I showed work at this exhibition that I had added an extra dimension to using augmented reality. Within each artwork I embedded subliminal messages and extracted 3D layers of art that viewers were able to access using the Artivive app on their mobile device. I felt that this was really successful and the response to it was really good - it added an extra dimension to my art and it gave me a creative output that allowed me to expand my artistic storytelling.
Showing in Ranelagh Arts was something I really enjoyed and I am also grateful to have a video of the "Lost in Thought" exhibition which was created by Shoeless Foot Productions. With all the excitement and buzz of an art exhibition, the small important details can get lost or forgotten, so having photos and videos of the event afterwards is so important. I think this is where social media plays a huge part and so many people tagged me in photos of the exhibition, for which I am so grateful.
People of Ranelagh
I've worked in studios in a variety of settings here in Ireland and abroad, but I can honestly say that one of the things about a studio that makes it great, is the surroundings and setting, which also includes all of the people around the studio that daily interactions can happen with. Working in a studio can sometimes be quite isolating so the brilliant thing about Ranelagh Arts is that it is in the centre of Ranelagh and there are so many shops and cafes around it and nearby. For me, working there and integrating myself into the community was a really positive aspect and I was all about having the chats with the Nick's Coffee crew while stopping for a coffee on the way to the studio in the morning. Or giving a wave to Derek in the Barber Shop next door as I headed in and out of the studio. And then there were the conversations with all of the visitors to the gallery space - nothing beats having great conversations with like minded people about art!
Future PIGSY plans
And so as my time in Ranelagh Arts ends, it is on to Spain for me where I return to Malaga to explore opportunities within the art scene there, that I am very familiar with, having spent a year as a resident artist in La Casa Amarilla Cultural Centre. Following a stint in Spain, I then plan to move onwards to Martinique in order to find creative inspiration from the Caribbean way of life. And then beyond that, an opportunity awaits me in the USA where I have an offering of a solo exhibition. And although it is an exciting time for sure with so many plans and opportunities coming to fruition, I want to make sure I live in the present and enjoy every experience without wishing away time in order to get on to the next thing, or travel to the next country. Ultimately time is our most precious asset and it is for this reason that I am seizing every opportunity offered to me without hesitation and am living by my PIGSY motto of "Live a life" which is the first thing I draw on every studio wall when I move in. Sad as I am leaving Ranelagh I know that great experiences await me and the best is yet to come......
Thank you Ranelagh Arts and adios to everyone that I met through the centre, I hope our paths cross again in the future.
For more information about the work of PIGSY, see his website www.pigsy.art here
Or follow him on Social Media as he travels the world - his instagram is @pigsyinspace