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| Ronan Bowes in his studio in Manhattan. |
Ronan Bowes was born in 1986 in Northern Ireland. And in many ways his work can be read as a response to that particular place and time and all that they entail and conjure.
The rough application of paint and jarring color combinations steer Bowes' paintings and sculptures towards urgent expression and unresolved feeling.
But to overlook the physical materials (and how they are used and reused) that make up the works is to miss a concept inherent in the making.
Here paint, canvas and wood are fashioned, disassembled and put together again in service of a regeneration, or at the very least a hopeful, urgent utterance, that says, "I can build on this."
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| They Send their Love, 2017, oil on canvas, 60 x 45 cm |
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| The Spot, 2017, oil on canvas, 60 x 45 cm |
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| Lios, 2017, oil on panel, 60 x 45 cm |
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| Site, 2017, oil on panel, 48 x 32 cm |
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| She Loved That Yellow Vase, 2017, oil on canvas, 102 x 108 cm |
From the Artist's Statement:
Making all my surfaces, I paint and draw predominantly
with oil and acrylic paint on canvas, wood panel, aluminium panel and paper.
The catalyst to my painting practice was growing up
in a socially and politically divided Northern Ireland. My childhood memories
are marked by a post-conflict society; as youngsters we grew up listening to
stories of what happened during the darker
days. These stories, coming from our loved ones and our neighbours, were
reinforced by Irish music and literature.
In 1998, our hometown Omagh, was bombed in the
worst atrocity since the beginning of the conflict. This event transmitted us
children into the darker days, and
although we grew up in a post-conflict era, there was, and still are sporadic
violent events unfortunately affecting our society.
Recently in my studio practice, I have been using
the remnants of the painting process to develop sculptural paintings, reverberating the 2-dimesional work. I am
interested in the life, death and rebirth of the materials of the painting
process, connecting this to my past experiences and the current civil unrest in
our world today.
Growing up in a society that has been affected by so
many economic, social, sectarian and political issues I believe it is difficult
not to have an expressive response to it; whether it be through words, music,
dance or visual art.
For me, painting and art universally, possess the
power to transcend the receiver from the turbulence of our world. I hope my
work can provide this remedy in a world that seems to be perpetually spinning
out of control.
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| Displacement, 2017, oil on canvas, 140 x 90 cm |
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| Etymology of Ubanites, 2016 oil on canvas, 168 x 193 cm |
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| The Grass is Always Greener, 2016, oil on canvas, 147 x 163 cm |
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| Death of Pinnochio, 2016, oil on canvas, 90 x 80 cm |
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| Boatman, 2016, oil on canvas, 95 x 85 cm |
Bio:
Ronan Bowes received his Postgraduate in Art Education from Northumbria University (Newcastle, UK) and his B.F.A 1st Class Honors (Valedictorian) from John Moores Art School (Liverpool, UK).
He has exhibited his work most recently at El Triunfo (New York, USA), Standard Projects (Wisconsin, USA) and Aqua Art Fair (Miami, USA).
Bowes has curated exhibitions at Aside Bside Gallery (London, UK), White Elephant Arts (Melbourne, AU) and John Moores University (Liverpool, UK). His work has been featured in chief curator Rebecca Wilson's collections through Saatchi Art.
"Cool it" 2016 was a showcase winner of ArtSlant's 2016 6th Annual Showcase and he was commissioned to create work for the Liverpool Biennial (UK) 2008.
You can find his work in the National Collection of "Your Paintings" by the BBC (England, UK) . Bowes has been an artist in resident with White Elephant Arts (Melbourne, AU) and St. Joesph Swan School (Northumbria, UK).
For more information on Ronan Bowes, his work and upcoming projects visit his website.
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| The Jungle, 2015, oil, spray paint and collage on canvas, 210 x 170 cm |
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| Tatlin Tree House, 2017, wood with oil, 60 x 14 x 40 cm |
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| Vessel, 2017, (front), Oak wood, plaster, oil and spray paint, 70 x 15 x 5 cm |
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| Vessel, 2017, (back), Oak wood, plaster, oil and spray paint, 70 x 15 x 5 cm |
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| The Border, 2017, found wood with oil plaster and spray paint, aprox. 100 x 20 x 20 cm |
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| Anastylosis, 2017, acrylic, assorted wood, plastic and oil, approx. 40 x 50 x 15 cm |
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