Exhibition celebrating familiar objects that stand test of time

Galway based artist Bernie Keogh is joining forces with Christine Bowen from Kenmare for a joint Christmas exhibition at the Russell Gallery, New Quay, just south of Kinvara village from this weekend.

The show, entitled Good Old Times will be launched this Saturday, November 24 at 6pm by Connacht Tribune journalist, Bernie Ní Fhlatharta.

The theme of this exhibition is a celebration of the good things that stand the test of time. Bernie Keogh, with her eye for good furnishings and old books, creates impeccable interiors, where the viewer can see familiar objects on a shelf, a pair of red shoes beside a Victorian chair, and the security of a family around the dinner table.

The influence of Italian Realism is evident in her work, and her focus continues to be the objects and the spaces that have meaning in her life. Bernie studied at the Florence Academy of Art after graduating from Crawford College of Art, Cork and has exhibited extensively in Ireland for over 20 years. Her show, held last year in the city’s Kenny Gallery, was a great success.

The classical themes of Bernie’s work contrast well with the more surreal work of Christine Bowen. Christine’s exquisite paintings of dresses are embroidered with motifs of hares and birds, where figures and landscapes are woven into each other in a refined, yet quirky way.

For this exhibition, Christine explores her dress narrative, taking inspiration directly from W.B. Yeats and Coole Park (one of her dress paintings is mapped with the Park’s famous Autograph Tree), and the nearby Mount Vernon, Lady Augusta Gregory’s summer residence. Christine’s work hangs in many galleries around the country and can be found in many private and public collections.

Good Old Times will run throughout December from Tuesday to Saturday between 10-6pm and on Sundays from 12-6pm, excluding Christmas.

For more information contact the Russell Gallery at New Quay, phone 065 7078185, or online at www.russellgallery.net