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Jul 26

Time -Lapse by Maria Noonan-McDermott


Opening Night Friday August 9th

5-9pm

Daily Viewing 10th August until 31st of August


Time-Lapse is about immortality, a state of life beyond the power of death.

As Emily Dickson wrote.

"Unable are the loved to die, for love is immortality"


Time-Lapse is an ongoing project that i have been working on for a number of years. Inspired by my own personal experience as a caregiver for my mother Maisie. Living with Alzheimer's. Her diagnosis has had a transformative impact on my life.

And of course a major influence on my work, as an artist and a poet.


I believe art should reflect the society we live in. Alzheimer's affects thousands of families in our communities today and this figure is growing year on year. I realized i had been gifted a profound experience which i wanted to share with others. In presenting this project. I wished to highlight the stigma, still attached to Alzheimer's and make caring visible, even when it can be difficult to find the right words. By highlighting it's awareness, we bring a greater understanding of the condition which in turn supports and comforts others coping with similar situations.


At the beginning of 2022, with the help of Irish Hospice Foundation through the seed grant award, in association with the Creative Ireland program. I began a cathartic journey, exploring the complexities, memory and loss of time in a series of new paintings, original poetry and installations. A voyage that has evolved and adapted while touring to each new art centre and gallery space and in response to the feedback from the different communities.


Through my art and poetry, i portray the untethering of time that comes with Alzheimer's and the archaeological uncovering of a parent's entire life that arrives with their death. Weaving together imagery and emotion. I celebrate the healing power of creativity and as the audience to reflect on the cherished moments that shaped their lives and contemplate their own experiences of grief, love and the cyclical nature of life.


Time-Lapse is not just an exhibition,but a tangible manifestation of my evolving artistic practice that incorporates personal narratives, social engagement and the commitment to addressing important key issues.

My exhibition showcases a multidisciplinary approach, combining the visual art with the literary arts, allowing for a more immersive and layered experience for the audience and the viewer.


Originally from Donegal, Irish artist and poet Maria Noonan McDermott now lives and works from her studio in Kinlough, Co. Leitrim.

 

I began my artistic career in Dublin in 1985 and qualified in Fashion and Design. I returned to college and completed a certificate in visual education before continuing on to study Fine Art. In the year 1990, I had my first solo exhibition of paintings. The feedback and encouragement I received helped direct me on my current path.

 

I believe that art reflects life and we bring our personal self, an element of who we are, to each and every work. My paintings represent not only a visual impression but also my emotional response to the subject matter. The natural landscape around me, the quality of light and shade with its changing vistas, ignite possibilities that have influenced my work continuously over the years. I am equally fascinated by the people that the land holds so tightly and am firmly bound in kinship with their poetic writing, their stories and soulful lyrics.

 

I've always been in awe of the storyteller, those gifted people who so fluidly guide you into their fantasy worlds, who submerge you so deeply, you cry, laugh and often seethe with anger and frustration. To me, this is true magic, possessing the rare skill of creating something from nothing, evoking such passion and emotion.

 

Growing up I found words didn't come so easily to me, art and writing became my outlet. I was transformed into the 'Cailleach Feasa', the storyteller. I recorded and recollected all the tales from times gone by, breathing life back into places and quirky characters I met along the way.

 

I was raised in a small village in Donegal and like most small communities in Ireland, it was filled with the most amazing characters.

 

As a child, my head was filled with fantastical stories told and dramatised by neighbours and family, the gatekeepers of local history. These tales, were, of course, exaggerated and embellished with such fun and gusto, like only true Irish seanchai can, that I couldn't help growing up with a great love of the people around me and all their fascinating antics.

 

In my work, I narrate the stories with colour and humour as over the years they've formed and shaped in my memory.

 

My paintings become the text and you the reader and as the reader, you are challenged to participate and choose your own journey. Thus, enabling the story to live all over again!

 

This attachment is ingrained in my work and I strive to bring forth its warmth in the most honest and pure way I know how.

 

 

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