lee welch :: projects

The Fold Isue 3 - Disappeared

Abracadabra is a term used in performances of prestidigitation as well as a cabalistic word intended to suggest infinity, it was believed to be a charm with the power to cure toothaches, fevers, and other ills, especially if written on parchment in a triangular arrangement and suspended from the neck by a linen thread. Abracadabra is of an uncertain origin and meaning, though tradition says it is composed of the initials from the Hebrew words Ab (Father), Ben (Son), and Ruach Acadsch (Holy spirit).

The Fold:
For this issue of The Fold I collaborated with Darling, a graphic design company. Since this project was being produced in a print based medium it seemed to lend itself to working with designers. This collaborative aspect of my practice uses other practitioners as a medium; much in the same way a painter uses paint.

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all colours black (next to nothing) The title of the exhibition, all colours black (next to nothing) is prompted by an examination of black and its reference in art history, architecture and the music industry. The idea was initially put forward to Brendan Earley by Mark St. John Ellis, who then carried out a number of studio visits to Clodagh Emoe, Mark Garry and Lee Welch to discuss the idea further.

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THE STUDIO As part of the Hugh Lane's THE STUDIO a number of studio visits have been organised for the public to experience the studios of artists living and working in Dublin and have an informal exchange.

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High HopesFrank Sinatra's song 'High Hopes' was first introduced in the 1959 film 'A Hole In The Head' where a character based on Walt Disney agrees to go into a partnership with Sinatra's character to build an amusement park in Florida (the film predates Disneyworld). Incidentally it was also used as a John F. Kennedy campaign song during his presidential election. These allusions to a political era that offered a charismatic message of hope and change along with the film’s references to an amusement park that embodies the idea of magic, fantasy and innocence are all suggestive of the works nature.

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seconds : : the imperfect artworkImperfect is defined in the Oxford Dictionary as not fully formed or done; faulty, incomplete. How do you decide when an artwork is finished or not, or if it's a success?

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falling somewhere in-between A sense of uncertainty develops as the viewer navigates the installation; multiple references unfold gradually over time ensuring that meaning is perpetually evolving and mutating.

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