This exhibition was inspired after the artist spent a month in Áras Éanna arts centre on Inis Oírr, Aran Islands, as artist in residence. Ruth found it a fascinating place and the resulting body of work is an important record of the changing landscape of the island.

The exhibition consists of twenty works on paper and an audiovisual piece entitled Observations. This installation is based on a series of about 30 small watercolours of the island of Inis Oírr. The pieces were photographed at high-resolution and then put into a PowerPoint slide programme, with a soundtrack spoken by the artist.

The text of the soundtrack starts out as a reflection on the visible landscape, then goes on to incorporate material from studies of pollen deposits and the history of land use they reveal.

Ruth wrote the text in English; Cleas Aistriú on Inis Oírr translated it into Irish for her she then recorded both versions and incorporated them into the PowerPoint programme. A second sound track plays a continuous quiet background of the sea.

“Projecting small images onto a big screen reveals both the translucent layered qualities of watercolour paintings and their immediacy: making them really visible. As far as I am aware it is an innovation. It is also very much to the point in terms of the content of this work; looking at and reflecting on the visible landscape, its formation over time, its meaning, and how this is revealed. The process combines traditional painting with new technology, quiet contemplation with scientific findings, realism tempering the romantic.”

Ruth O’Donnell

Jane Dillon Byrne Cllr, will officially open the exhibition at a reception in the lemonstreet gallery on Thursday 15th June from 6pm – 8pm.

The Exhibition will run from 16th June to 7th July 2006.