Art is surrounding us, it's everywhere if you walk with open eyes. You can see it in the nature, like how the clouds are moving or how the sun enjoys his ride through the sky. And humans... oh they can do so many beautiful things, they can express their emotions, let out their anger, show what's important.
As you know the quote the Earth without art is only an eh, but luckily there is art, and also happiness and the process of the creativity. And now, here is a little interview to celebrate this brand new project in Budapest, Wild Art Exhibition.Please enjoy the interview with Dervla O'Flaherty. Check out her website here and visit the Exhibition's Facebook page here.
LifeLightsmag (LLm): Welcome! You are a truly talented artist from Ireland who is currently living in Hungary. Please tell us a little bit about your art and how did you end up in Budapest?
Dervla O'Flaherty (DO'F): Thank you for your kind words! Well the general theme of my work is exploring ideas of identy, place and the unknown. It became necessary for my practice to take projects abroad and move out of my comfort zone. I came to Hungary to do a 2 month project in 2015 and instantly fell in love with the place. After just a few days I was beginning to imagine myself living here. As this feeling didn’t leave me even after doing some further projects in other countries, I decided to move here a year ago.
Photo rights are reserved to Dervla O'Flaherty.
LLm: I basically saw your art in an apartment, better to say in a project called Wild art exhibition, tell us how this idea was born. How did you find the location for it? And how many people are working on this project?
DO'F: The idea came about from discussions between myself and the 2 other organisers Vivien René and Orsi Varga. Our idea was to create an exhibition more akin to a party in artist studios or art colleges where music, food, drink, discussions and debates take place in a very lively and creative atmosphere among a variety of finished and half-finished artworks and ideas from emerging and more established artists. In this way there is no distinct message, we just want to inspire and connect as many creative types in Budapest as much as we can. That’s why we made the decision it should be a one night only event without any possibity to visit afterwards at a quiet time like in a regular gallery.
Our friend had just bought this apartment in Nepszinhaz utca which was waiting to be totally renovated. As the work was delayed for over a month, he kindly offered us the space to put on the event and the freedom to do whatever we wanted there which was a dream opportunity for us.
We started organising the show just 3-4 weeks before it opened. We contacted any artist we had met in Budapest to see if they were up for trying something a bit different and to spread the word to any interesting artists they knew.. we were lucky and quickly became connected with some really talented people in Budapest.
Photo rights are reserved to LifeLights Magazine. LLm: How did you become an artist? Was there any event that helped you choose this path?
DO'F: Somewhere around 1999 my grandmother brought me to see the studio of Irish born painter Francis Bacon when it was re-located to the Hugh Lane Gallery in Dublin. As a child I was always drawing, painting and telling people I was going to be an artist.My gran often brought me on day trips to see galleries and exhibitions but this visit was one that sent a shock to my system. It stopped me in my tracks. Peering wide-eyed through the chaos of Bacons studio, among the paint strewn walls and floor, the scattered objects and cut up photos, the thick expressive visceral strokes of his dislocated bodies and screaming popes, I saw for the first time that art could be something more than skilfully or beautifully reproducing objects and scenes; art could be raw and shocking, pumping and fluid, emotional and aggressive, bloody, bodily and beautiful; a terrible beauty. Through his work I began to see the artist as an experimenter, pushing boundaries and pouring out emotion, ideas and aggression with paint. I was thrilled.
From here I set to work with a new licence and a new understanding of art as a vehicle for pure imagination, frustration, sexuality and struggle. I started keeping secret scribbled notebooks and pushing feelings into pictures and poetry. This way of recording and expressing everyday emotions thoughts and ideas has become an integral part of visual language I use as a jumping off point to create artwork.
LLm: Among your works, which one is your favorite? Why?
DO'F: The relationship I have with my artwork is usually a bit tempestuous and moody – sort of like a lover that you can’t live with and can’t live without! There are always 1 or 2 pieces that stand out as marking points in my progression as an artist. A mixed media piece from last year ’Dark Sky Status’ is an important piece for me as it began a new direction in my work by combining woodwork and carving with oil painting towards what I’ve come to define as ’mapmaking’ work. It’s a direction I’m still exploring.
LLm: You are planning the next Exhibition in Budapest (Facebook event link here). Tell us a little bit about the upcoming event.
DO'F: We plan to continue the Vad Art Kiállítás series and looking forward to making each event unique and wilder than the last. Our next event is on October 20th and it’s on in at Szív utca 32. Our idea is that each event will be on in a different location in Budapest with a different ‘flavour’ – the next one will incorporate a lot more performance, music, dance and storytelling as well as a variety of visual artists with all new work. Hope to see you all there!
Thank you!
Thank you Dervla for the interview!
