John O’Connor: A Retrospective
Basement Gallery, An Táin Arts Centre, Dundalk, August 1st - 31st, 2024
John O’Connor: A Retrospective celebrates the practice of Dundalk-based artist John O’Connor (1957-2022).
Steeped in emotive memories of place, John’s works are most often drawn from memories of childhood summers spent on ancestral land in Ummeryroe, Co.Sligo. John amalgamated his visual fascinations with poetic re-contextualisation of that which rooted him. John’s paintings and prints skillfully blend memory, family, place and observation, with striking use of abstract texture and colour.
This exhibition, two years in the making, seeks to trace the roots of his practice, bring new works to light and celebrate the powerful breadth of his life-long practice.
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John O’Connor
1957-2022
Born in 1957 in Blackrock, Co.Dublin, John graduated from Dun Laoghaire Art College in 1980. Awarded the Sir Alfred Beit Award for painting and first prize in the Claremorris Open in 1980, he completed further studies in art teaching before moving to Dundalk. A dynamic and motivated teacher, he taught art at O’Fiaich College from 1983 until his retirement in 2017. John was a valued member of Bridge Street Studios from 2003 to 2015, and was a long-term member of Creative Spark Print Studio, Dundalk. He was a proud member of the North Louth Artists Group. John had three significant solo shows and participated in numerous curated and group exhibitions across Ireland since the 1980s. Johns's work is held in public, corporate and private collections.
Curated by Ellen O’Connor
Catalogue design by Cian Pawle-Bates
Catalogue photography by Glance Stealer Productions
Catalogue printed by Plus Print
Exhibition opened by Robert Kelly
Acknowledgments
Heartfelt thanks to all who loaned work for this retrospective. This project would not have been possible without the care, enthusiasm, and creative collaborations provided by the following.
Paul Hayes Director of An Táin Arts Centre, Robert Kelly, Declan Honan, Frances Lambe, John Noonan, John Horan, Mary Horan, Alex Keatinge, Richard Harvey, Cian Pawle-Bates, the O’Connor family and the extended staff of An Táin Arts Centre.
This exhibition and catalogue was graciously supported and facilitated by The Basement Gallery at An Táin Arts Centre, Dundalk, which is supported by The Arts Council of Ireland, 2024.
