The artist Statement

NIAMH INTERVIEW

For CPS we had to prepare an interview for one of our classmates about his/her work and the we had to produce a statement with it, i interviewed Niamh Meehan, it was really interesting because our work is completely different and it helped me understand her and her art. Here is the statement:

Artist Statement, Niamh Seana Meehan.

Niamh Meehan makes sculpture and installation.

She is an Irish artist and it was there, in Ireland, where her fascination about environment and weather began. She saw rainfalls and floodings so consequently she has been surrounded by a subtle and vaporous color palette, which has always been an influence to her.

Specifically, the starting point for her recent work were the Sink Holes that have happened this year in England, creating large holes in the ground caused by the constant rainfalls, she was so fascinated by these images that her artwork relates completely to it. Meehan was especially interested in how rainfall has an effect on the ground, paying attention to pigments and texture, she set up her sculpture taking into account two main things: space and material.

Meehan has always been fascinated by installation and the aim of giving a space a purpose, so she took unconventional materials such as cellophane and she hang it on the wall in a way that reminded of rainfall, then she sprayed ink, plaster and mug with water, it all fell into the cellophane that was in the floor, drying slowly and creating many different textures in the ground, which already had wood glue; she also used other materials such as baking flour and black powder paint. Basically she wanted the materials do the talking, see how they react and how they change, that´s why she took pictures during the process.

Her main influence has been the sculptor Robert Morris, his attitude towards art and more specifically his usage of working with space but she has also had in mind Land art while doing the piece.

Her artwork is all about using a space to tell a story, let the audience understand what is going on in her head, she wanted people to feel the environment she created, to feel what she felt.