About
The Naughton Gallery at Queen's welcomes eight local contemporary artists through a collective re-thinking of works by women artists of the Spanish and Latin American Avant-garde.
Surrealism began as a cultural movement in Paris in the 1920s which experimented with ways of unleashing the subconscious imagination to reconcile the unconscious with rational life. The malleability of its aesthetic has allowed artists to push boundaries and blend borders
The exhibition, curated by Dr Tara Plunkett of the School of Modern Languages, takes as its starting point artists who explored the Surrealist ideals from the female perspective, including English born Leonora Carrington, Spanish-Mexican Remedios Varo, Argentinean Norah Borges and Spanish painter Maruja Mallo. From Parisian Surrealism to Mexican post-Surrealism, each varied greatly in their style, tone and medium to express their personal dialogue with the avant-garde.
Featuring work by Martin Boyle, Hannah Casey, Helen McDonnell, Lyndsey McDougall, Brian Morrison, Holly Nedeljkovic and academic Dr. Ricki O'Rawe in collaboration with film-maker Stuart Sloan, each has created a response to a specific artwork or body of work, or has interpreted the energy and atmosphere of the avant-garde circles in Madrid, Paris, Barcelona, Mexico City and Buenos Aires. The results reflect the vibrancy and variety of the avant-garde aesthetic and illustrate its enduring resonance.
Exhibition continues until 29 June
A series of free public talks will be held on Saturday 24 May in the Canada Room adjacent to the Gallery:
1:30pm Tour of the exhibition, Dr. Tara Plunkett
2:00pm An Introduction to the Surrealist Movement, Dr Terence McMullan
3:00pm The cure for modernity: Angeles Santos, Leonora Carrington, Dr Roberta Quance and
Dr Tara Plunkett
4:00pm - Surrealism, Women Artists and the Esoteric, Dr Richard O'Rawe, NUI Maynooth.
