Vibrant art inspired by rural childhood
Symphony of Colour, an exhibition by artist Mary Geeleher is on display at University Hospital Galway until next Monday, October 31. On the Arts Corridor, it features new and recent works that reflect her fascination with how light and the changing seasons affect the Irish landscape.
Printmaker Mary likes to use brilliant colour and works a lot using a process called carborundum.
“I can get lots of tone and velvety finishes with this technique and it gives a very different finish to other types of printmaking,” she explains. “It’s a relief technique that uses textured plates, so it creates different effects on the print. I sometimes overprint with a drypoint plate or silk screen. I like the scratching and scraping that occurs in creating a drypoint print. I feel it relates to the farmer tilling the land.”
Mary, a former nurse in University Hospital Galway, was born in Cork and she grew up on a farm. Her rural background has been a big influence on her art.
Mary attended Art College in Galway as a mature student and qualified with an Honours Degree in Fine Art in 2004. She has spent many years painting and printmaking, but her passion is for traditional printmaking and she has been a member of Galway Printmakers since its foundation. Also a member of Visual Artists Ireland, Mary has exhibited extensively in Ireland, England, France, Australia, China, and USA. She has been invited to exhibit in Le Temps Des Sirènes; the International Women in Contemporary Art Biennial in Lorient in December 2016.
The exhibition was supported by Éalaion na Gaeltachta.
For further information on Mary, her work or to enquire about purchasing a piece, contact Galway University Hospital Arts Trust at 091-544979 or email [email protected].