A certain critical period, upcoming exhibitions

I recently finished my time on the Expanded Print Residency at Graphic Studio Dublin, working on a project entitled A certain critical period, a phrase taken from George Saunders' short story, Love Letter. The main output, as well as several etchings, is the moving-image piece below, digitally composed from the many etching and carborundum prints I produced there.

A certain critical period, moving image (from etching, carborundum, monoprint), 2025. Please check the quality setting (click the ⚙️ symbol in the bottom right of the video) and consider selecting e.g. 720p or 1080p. 

Love Letter is set in a post-democracy USA of the near-future, a man writes to his grandson to give him advice on dealing with the detaining of one of his (the grandson's) friends by the government. The Grandfather's letter quickly broadens into an explanation and an excuse for how the recently-democratic America had slid into autocracy, while he watched on. While it drips with love for his grandson, the grandfather's letter aims above all to justify his inaction during that "critical period", and to justify his advice to his grandson.

What would you have had me do? What would you have done? ... Would you have marched? For some reason, there were suddenly no marches. Organized a march? Then and now, I did not and do not know how to arrange a march.

This is also simply a piece of work about the dizzying possibilities of mark-marking in intaglio printmaking. A longer but still quite brief write-up of the project is here

Sheltering a small, remaining trace of fire through a dark period, Etching, 27 x 25 cm (image)

Upcoming Exhibitions

I'm excited about this little show, opening this coming Tuesday at SPACE Hackney. I met the brilliant Saint, one of the curators, through the Ingram Prize (which she won), and was delighted when she asked me to be part of this group show, focusing on an experimental approach to the human figure. Please come along to the opening for a drink and a chat: 6-8.30pm, 129-131 Mare Street, E8 3RH.

I'm going to keep it short today, but in May I'll be showing work at Stapleford Granary, and then the Royal Hibernian Academy in Dublin, but will send more details on that next time.