Graffiti Works
from "Ireland & Europe: International Visual Art Event"
September 4th - October 16th 1997

Fourteen different graffiti images, each approximately 28cm x 28cm, stencilled on windows, walls, and paving around Parnell Sq., Dublin.

On a simple level, the link between language and culture is obvious. Here in Ireland, the link is officially recognised within the governmental department title, Dept. of Arts, Heritage, the Gaeltacht & the Islands. Even so, there is an incongruity/irony in the fact that the Gaeltacht comprises only a small portion of the country, whilst English is the common language for the majority of the country. Elsewhere in Europe, similar incongruities also exist and are often at the heart of cultural tension and/or civil strife within a country.

Although my work has focused specifically on the European Union member states, this link between language and culture is global. While Czechoslovakia had a peaceful separation into two distinct states, the evening news proves that this is a rarity. I was raised in Canada where there are clear tensions between French and English with regard to language and culture -- too often an issue of power. However, as Anglophones and Francophones "officially" share a position of equality, I feel it is the language and culture of the Inuit and other First Peoples which remain truly marginalised.

I am aware of the history of graffiti as a subversive activity and believe there is an irony/paradox of doing graffiti with "permission" and as part of an "official" presentation. The recognition of this irony/paradox is fundamental to the nature of my project.

A catalogue of the exhibition was published by the Sculptors Society of Ireland in January 1998.

Click on the small images right to view larger images from this body of work.