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“I hope to create narrativeswhich invite people tore-assess the familiarand ordinary.”Face-toFace-to-Face with Westmeath artist, FIONA KELLYFace-How do you describe what you do toothers?I assemble visual fables.Please give us some more details asto the materials you use, why andhow you construct your art.I work through a myriad of techniquesand materials in reaction to my foundenvironment, but primarily I find mynarrations come in the medium ofRelief Printmaking. A medium whichhistorically is identified as a conduitwhich provides functional illustrations,presenting moral narratives in a simpleinformative way.I utilise the resonance of the reliefprint to address my contemporarysocial concerns for the individual andenvironment. I use common placeobjects and fairly comical slogans toillustrate fables, facilitating the viewerto question this banal absurdity ofeveryday situations; what was thoughtto be familiar has to be re-accessed.What are you trying to achievethrough your work?I hope to create narratives which invitepeople to re-assess the familiar andordinary.When did you first become attractedto art and when did you decide tofollow this as a career path?Art has always been a constant in mylife. My parents always had a stock ofcrayons for us. I have never felt like Idecided that art was a career path, itis just where I walked to.You seem to work and be popular inthe Nordic countries. Is there aparticular reason for this?I don’t know if I am popular in Nordiccountries, but Nordic countries arepopular with me! I am intrigued withthe vacant Landscapes in the north,so wonderfully beautiful and cruel. Thepeople I have met there have atremendous sense of humour and Iwill always avail of any opportunities togo back.What was it like having your workdisplayed in Shanghai and New York?The New York Print Death Swap Showwas really fun; a friend in the Statestold me about the opportunity and weapplied and got involved as we werebig fans of the organisers- CannonballPress. A punk band played at theopening and I realised how distinctiveit was to be a printmaker, creatingwork in editions; sharing andswapping. It was a revelation and aworking ethos that I have kept withme.Shanghai was epic, my twocollaborators - Amanda Rice and EdelO’Reilly, which I’m part of the Artistcollective Cork Contemporary Projectswith, worked extremely hard to get tothat point. China was an amazingexperience and the most challengingprofessionally thus far. I have beenreally fortunate to have suchambitious, accomplished and loyalfriends as contemporaries. It is soimportant to have a network you canrely on, especially in such a highprofile show. Amanda, Edel and I metwhile studying together at TheCrawford College of Art.When you set out on this path whatwas your ultimate goal?I didn’t have an ultimate goal, but nowit’s to have a little cottage with a bigshed (studio) and a sheep dog!32AN EXCLUSIVE OPPORTUNITY
The place whichinfluenced me themost is probablythe house whereI grew up. It is awunderkammerof objects andfragments.Tell us a little about your currentand upcoming exhibitions/works?The unexpected architecture of follycaused by the indefinite interimexperienced by materials onconstruction sites are currently ofkeen interest to my current researchand practice, which is following onfrom my bricks series.I am currently investigating theabsurdity of this aspect ofcontemporary reality in constructionby giving these inanimate stackshumane traits; introducing them toeveryday objects with thecombination of poetic slogans andvoid spaces to show the materialspassive agreement to the imposedsocio-economic situations effectingtheir locations.I’m having a lot of fun with this trainof thought right now and I’m workingtowards a three person exhibition inGalleria Harmonia in Finland. I’m alsoseeking out a space for a solo showin Westmeath. I had been visitingsome really nice spaces and hope tomake some decisions soon. Thereare always a few projects on the go atany one time!Outside of the studio, I’m facilitatinga TY group from Kilbeggan create andinstall an exhibition based on logos,branding and sign theory through themedium of relief printmaking. Thishas been made possible by theWestmeath Artist in the CommunityScheme. I’m studying and designingthe class and it’s a really excitingventure for me. The exhibition will bea fringe event to The KibegganKnighthood Festival which makes itsdebut on June 1.Was there a person/thing whichinfluenced you most?The place which influenced me themost is probably the house where Igrew up. It is a wunderkammer ofobjects and fragments. My Father’sfamily have lived here for generationsand had various modes ofemployment alongside the farm. Wehad adjacent sheds to the housewhich were my Grandfather/Greatgrandfather’sworkshops and theywere just full of bric-a-brack andremnants; drawers upon drawers ofnails, cogs, oil cans, string. In thehouse I would delight in opening arandom cupboard to be greeted witha hotchpotch of objects - buttons,boxes of old pins, badges, hundredsof small keys each different from thenext, old latch hooks and string-suchan amount of string! I found wonderin these objects and was they werealways a catalyst into my play andstories. So I thank my family and theirgenerations of collecting!YOU ARE HEREA person, aside from my family, wouldbe Heather Seery, a wonderful ladyand an extremely talented artist whotaught me how to draw, which is themost important tool as an artist, butshe also taught me how to relax intomy ideas, which is everything.Can you be based in the midlandsand have a global reach?Yes, I think you can - as long as youfind the time, space, facilities, andhave the all important banter withyour peers, you can work fromanywhere. The thing that will keepyou from advancing artistically is ifTHERE ARE THOUSANDS OF TAPS DRIPPINGyou become repetitive and your ideasstagnate and that could happen nomatter where you are based.What are some of the best/worstthings about arts in the midlands?The best thing about the midlands isthe emergence of new and vital artistcollectives, groups and paces. Thereis a bright enthusiasm about and thiswill keep building with the creation ofnew artistic outlets.The worst thing is that there is noestablished art gallery in Westmeathbut this is been rectified at themoment in a beautiful renovationproject in Athlone. I’m delighted atthis new enterprise as Westmeathneeds a non-static art gallery topromote its emerging andprofessional artists and provide themwith the facilities to further theircareer not only in their own local, butto be of national recognition.What do you think can be done toencourage more people to engagewith the arts at a local level?I think people have certaininsecurities when it comes to viewingand making art that they should letgo of. Everybody should pick up apencil or crayon and allow somepaper be a receptacle for theirthoughts, if only for this moment.What would you say to a youngperson who has expressed aninterest in art as a career?You have to start being reallycomfortable with rejection! I want togive confidence to other emergingartists to continue on an artistic routebut the thing you never think of ishow sturdy artists need to be.Perseverance and mettle are neededjust as much as talent and concept.M33
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