An interesting project - to retrace Katherine Mansfield’s steps around Paris and Fontainbleau.
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Cecilia Bullo - Oh Toads of the river, grieve. Oh Toads of the wetlands, Lament for me. Oh Land, grieve for me. 2023/24. Photographic print on vinyl 300x150 cm
Oh Toads
I was delighted to collaborate with Cecilia Bullo on making her new artwork, “Oh Toads of the river, grieve. Oh Toads of the wetlands, Lament for me. Oh Land, grieve for me. 2023/24”.
It was an intense shoot, not least because she had approximately 18.5 kilos of jesmenite sculptures of toads perched on her airways throughout. I first met Cecilia by chance when I saw her show Being Haunted by the Breezes, Now How Will You Exist? at the Royal Hibernian Academy. I was very taken with the horde of toad sculptures all facing into a corner of the dimly-lit gallery, and was intrigued when I saw a note on the wall saying that they were available to buy. When I asked about this at the reception desk downstairs they told me I could just take whichever ones I wanted from the exhibit. I went back upstairs, announced to the several people watching that I’d been given permission to remove some toads and made my way towards the exit. A figure came out the darkness, wreathed in smiles. This was Cecilia. She was delighted I liked her toads and informed me they were made from ‘Jesmenite, toad DNA and spells”. “What kind of spells?” I asked.
“Good ones” she replied.
This work is part of Distinct, an exhibition in Project Arts Centre curated by Alan James Burns which explores the climate crisis through the perspective of disability. From the exhibition notes: “Cecilia Bullo presents a large-scale photographic work that reformulates cast sculptures of toads as a wearable assemblage on her body, exploring material cultures relating to rituals of healing and transformation through mythological, archaeological, feminist and ecological lenses.”
Artwork by Cecilia Bullo.
Curatorial direction by AlanJames Burns.
Production support by Marie Farrington.
Photography by Conor Horgan.
Photographic assistance by Sara Pirani
Makeup by Christopher Mc Cormack.
The exhibition runs until April 20th in Project Arts Centre, Dublin.
Thanks to Leanne Sullivan for the gallery photo of me with Cecilia and my intern Sara Pirani, who assisted on the shoot.
I made this portrait of one of Cecilia’s toads in my studio. Apparently she’s called Lucille.
It was an honour to chair the post-screening discussion after Sidonie in Japan at the Dublin Film Festival, with star Isabelle Huppert and director Élise Girard. Photo: Simon Lazewski
La Huppert
It was an honour to chair the post-screening discussion after Sidonie in Japan at the Dublin Film Festival, with star Isabelle Huppert and director Élise Girard.
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Flag No. 6, 2021. Archival Pigment Print h:65 w:46. Edition of 10.
Flag No. 6
Very happy that this work has just been bought for the Dun Laoire Rathdown Municipal Art Collection - many thanks to SO Fine Art Editions, who have more of my works in their gallery.
Flag No. 6, 2021, from Post-State (see more from this body of work here)
Forest, Dublin 1, 60w x 45h cm, 2023.
Archival pigment print on 308 gsm Hahnemühle Photo Rag paper. Framed in limed ash box frame behind AR glass. Edition of 6 + 1 AP, with 4 available.
A Pocket Urban Forest
An invited response to a pocket urban forest in Dublin 1.
Read MoreLèche-vitrines*
“I suddenly found myself on the front line as missiles sailed over my head towards a phalanx of CRS riot police. With their kevlar exoskeletons they looked like killer robots from the future.”
Read MorePoems
Frank Callery has included two poems based on my photographs in his latest book.
Read MoreStories
I have stories and photographs in two books that have just been published, and one has been nominated for an Irish book award.
Read MoreAuctions, Shows, Books and Portraits
An update about some upcoming auctions, group exhibitions and books which feature my work.
A Fix of France
I was lucky enough to do a house-swap with an artist friend in Paris for a couple of weeks, giving me a much needed fix of France - got to see friends, some great art and just enjoy being in the greatest city in the world. I also got down to Arles to see the Rencontres photography Festival, always worth the trip.
Rue De Buci
Dominique cuts loose in the Café des 2 Moulins, Montmartre (the Amelie bar)
Show and tell
I was delighted to be invited back to the Fumbally Exchange, where I worked for several years, to show and discuss two of my short films. They asked for a description of what I was planning to show, so I gave them ‘ a drama about a middle aged woman going out to try to get laid, and the other a kind of love poem to my favourite inspirational place.’
It was fun!
Ballinglen
Culture Night 2023
Very glad to have two works in the excellent Iova Group Culture night show
Read MoreThe Poet
Wonderful news today about poet Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin being shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot prize
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With the Work
I’m very happy to have work in several great shows at the moment:
Read MoreThree Nicoles
My portrait of writer Nicole Flattery, whose new book “Nothing Special” has just been given a rave review in the The New Yorker.
Showtime
I spent a key part of my adolescence in Dun Laoire, and I’m very much looking forward to the opening of this exhibition in Dlr Lexicon Municipal Gallery later today
Read MoreGallery News
Details of my work currently on show in various galleries.
Read MoreCongratulations!
Congratulations are due to three debut novelists I’ve recently photographed.
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Jimmy
Very sad to hear that Jimmy Nichols has died while trying to rescue someone from drowning.
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