Beyond the House of Carmen and Figure Paintings

Stephen Lawlor

 

An exhibition of recent paintings by Stephen Lawlor, and the second solo exhibition at the gallery. The works comprise of two unrelated subjects.

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Beyond the House of Carmen focused on a stretch of road in Andalusia to where the artist has been drawn for multiple summers running. The clarity and brightness of the light heightens colour where such conditions are impossible to locate in Ireland. By bringing swathes of illuminated landscape onto small scale canvases the epic becomes intensified and jewel like.

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Figure paintings, again on his favoured small scale canvases, reveal intimacy, identity and humanity with reserve and confidence at the same time. Classical Spanish painting, a strong influence on the artist, is referenced also but brought with his own voice, to a contemporary value.