The
Gallery Gazetteer 
Pixelize Me.
Be careful the next time you post your pictures on
Facebook, you could become a work of art. The Irish artist Enda
O'Donoghue had the good idea to paint scenes of daily life inspired
from pictures exclusively found on the web. The Irish Art Center
of New York is presenting his works until June 19, 2009.
 |
| "Apetite"
by Enda O'Donoghue. 2008, oil on canvas. Photo by Irish Arts
Center. |
Since the creation of photography, it has become quite
common for artists, professional or amateur to use pictures as a
model. You may wonder if it is legal to use a picture found on the
web and reproduce it more or less realistically. The answer is no,
but, reassure yourself, O'Donoghue always found the owner of the
picture, and made sure to have his/her authorization before using
it. He is thus respecting the copyright of the picture.
Having studied first computers, then art, Enda O'Donoghue
has exhibited since 1997 in Europe, notably in Germany, Ireland
and France; but also in China and in the United States. Irish born,
he has lives and worked in Berlin since 2002.
 |
| Detail
of "Apetite" by Enda O Donoghue. 2008, oil on canvas.
Photo by Irish Arts Center. |
This thirty-something artist succeeds in creating
a link between technology and fine art. With his "pixelise"
style, he renders banal scenes of our lives in little squares, representing
the pixels of a computer screen. What was impressive about those
paintings is that if you get closer, they seem to be just an amazing
mix of bright colors and small squares. When you move back, you
can see the scene being formed. It's a form of expressionism that
would not be possible 20 years ago.
The artist used to speak about his work as "In
between," especially when he refers to the locations represented
on his work. The coffee shop, an airport corridor, or the queues
in a fast food restaurant, all banal spaces, are for him neither
public nor private.
For me, redrawing anecdotal events of the daily life
brings a special importance to those moments. They seem to be banal,
but actually are not. As the Egyptians drew their hieroglyphs, O'Donoghue
expresses himself about our civilization, our habits, and our virtual
lives.
The creation process of his artworks is quite complex.
The photographs found are modified and corrected on software, and
then painted on the canvas.
The mission of the Irish Arts Center, since 1972,
has been to promote Irish Art and culture in New York. The center
has a little gallery and a theater as well. Note that the gallery
is open only by appointment, and they will be delighted to open
for you the door to the fantastic virtual-artistic world of Enda
O'Donoghue. Call 212-757-3318. [Suzanne Trouve Feff]
