Ennistymon Courthouse Gallery and Studios

"Can’t Stop the Rock"

An exhibition of paintings by

Cóilín Rush.

at 8pm on Thursday evening,

9th October

Exhibition runs until 30^th October

**Gallery co-ordinator Maria Kerin will give a short talk at Ten Past Three on Tuesdays during the exhibition - all the family are welcome, especially the children.


Artist statement:

“‘I am he who can play many games!’ That is the essence of the happy child….”- The Dice Man.

I dislike themes. Too often an exhibition statement begins with-‘The single unifying theme of this exhibition of works is…..’.Or better again in the case of a call to Artists- ‘This is a an open submission call for Artworks and the theme is….’. An Artist who hears that call can now take a work and bend its meaning and pervert it’s destiny until it meets the proposed theme. The theme which has been set is a challenge. It is an obstacle. How can an Artist triumph over it? In this way the theme is the engine of creativity! Possibly, but perhaps not. I think themes sometimes prevent us from seeing the work that Artist’s do when left alone.

I make paintings based on photographs of images that appeal to me. The selection of images is not altogether arbitrary. The images are usually from feature films that I appreciate the aesthetic of. I use the excess paint left at the end of some rendering to begin abstract works which I like to think then in turn inform the qualities of my figurative works and I occasionally unsuccessfully try to find the painting that works as both. I take other photographs from life, often portraits of friends. I get commissioned to do other things. I get ideas about flow mediums and how they might react with one another and so I take a small canvas and make an experiment and then so as not to waste it I make a painting of it. This exhibition is filled with all of these things.
I have a short attention span. I have to break up the pursuit of one idea with interjections of the meaningless. If I think- ‘This work deals with issues of…..’I have to concede that, without a theme, it does not. It is dumb. It will not speak to you. Do you hear me? If you do, you have failed to observe things as they really are. As such the theme of this show is a lack of themes. Silly me! In this way the theme of this exhibition is theme.