Ultraviolet Art Talks

On this episode, Caren Sullivan talks to artist Audrey Rangel Aguirre in 2021 about her unique and exquisite projects.

Audrey Rangel Aguirre is an Interdisciplinary Mexican artist based in England, researching at the intersection of art and science, focusing on artistic intuition to create new systems and speculative scenarios that belong to the future of human civilisation. Currently developing the research project Terras Lux, focusing on the relation between energy on microbial microecosystems on soil and the energy on human body.

The core and intellectual structure of my project Terras Lux is the energy as electricity produced by microbial ecosystems on soil related with the energy of the human body, I present soil as a natural source of renewable energy that will be the future technology on future systems for human civilisation.

Currently creating a body of work that has been developed as the outcome of the ongoing collaboration between the artist and astrobiologist Marta Filipa Simões, exploring her current scientific research on metal nanoparticles and the emergent field of astromycology.

The collaboration has originated exciting and interesting projects as the creation of speculative materials developed with fungal resources, as well as photographic documentation, texts, experiments, digital images and has bridged the artist’s current project Terras Lux with notions of astrobiology, situating the project into a vision that connects the microscopic dimension of microorganisms on earth with the macrocosm, the vast universe and space.

The current convergence of art and science may be the key to unlock new possibilities and the development of human consciousness towards the next phase of civilisation. In my research, I allow myself to free artistic intuition in order to power and enhance scientific research with the aim of the creation of new systems that belong to the future of human civilisation, in which, with the collaboration of other beings like microbes and ecosystems, a new way of living and collaborating between all beings on Earth can be achieved, through reciprocity.

Audrey Rangel Aguirre in her own words; "I use creative intuition as a tool to create speculative scenarios that may be a possibility for our nearest future as society, and entangle it with diverse branches of science as biology, biotechnology, microbiology, energy harvesting technology, physics, philosophy and spirituality. Intuition, reciprocity and caring for others as a way for weaving politics, poetics, and consequences through contemporary art practices."

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For more information, follow Audrey Rangel Aguirre on Instagram @audreyrangelaguirre

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On this episode, Caren Sullivan talks to artist Helena Hamilton in 2021.

Belfast-based artist Helena Hamilton works both visually and sonically. Her practice crosses the lines between creating objects, sound, digital interaction, and action/performance. Her current research focuses on creating works between digital and physical environments while negotiating the relationship between the sonic and visual. 

Helena has previously exhibited and performed in both gallery spaces and contemporary music/sound festivals across UK & Ireland as well as Berlin, Rome, Tokyo and New York.

Recent solo exhibitions include: Virtual Matter [Ambient], Naughton Gallery, Belfast, NI (2022); Semblance and Event, Millennium Court Arts Centre, NI/The Agency Gallery, London (2018). Showcases include: Digital Design Weekend, Victoria and Albert Museum, London (2017). Recent artist residencies include: Art Centre Ongoing, Tokyo, Japan (2016); Goldsmiths University of London, EAVI Group (2015).

Helena received an MA in Sonic Arts (Queens University Belfast, 2014) and holds a BA Honours degree in Fine Art (University of Ulster, 2009). She is currently completing a PhD at Sonic Arts Research Centre, QUB. 

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For more information, follow Helena Hamilton on Instagram @helena_hamilton

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On this Valentines Day Special Episode, Caren Sullivan talks to super talented musician Mundy in 2021. Watch video version of his exclusive performance for Ultraviolet Art Talks Instagram.

Mundy is an Irish singer-songwriter and founder of the independent record label Camcor Records.

He released his debut album Jelly Legs in 1996 on the Epic Records label. The album included the song "To You I Bestow", which was featured on the best-selling soundtrack to Baz Luhrmann's film adaptation Romeo + Juliet.

In 2000, Mundy was dropped by Epic while working on his second album, The Moon is a Bullethole, which was about to be recorded. Although a four-track EP of that title was released, much of the material for the canceled album was eventually incorporated into 24 Star Hotel, Mundy's 2002 album.

24 Star Hotel was released on Camcor Records, a label Mundy himself set up, primarily funded by his royalties from the Romeo and Juliet soundtrack.

In 2003, Mundy also contributed to Afro Celt Sound System's album Seed, as well as to Even Better than the Real Thing Vol. 1, with a cover version of the Shakira song Whenever, Wherever, in which the two words in the title are reversed.

In May 2004, Mundy released his third album, Raining Down Arrows, recorded with producer Mark Addison at The Aerie studio in Austin, Texas. It entered the Irish Albums Chart at No. 1, the record having since gone platinum. He toured the UK with songwriting legend Jimmy Webb, and continued to win-over Irish audiences whilst making UK appearances with Richard Hawley, and gaining Irish support slots with The White Stripes and Oasis.

In 2006, Mundy recorded a live album and DVD called Live & Confusion at Vicar Street, Dublin. It contains all of his best-known songs such as "Gin & Tonic Sky", "Mexico", "July", "To You I Bestow", "By Her Side" and "Love & Confusion". The album also contained an encore of "Galway Girl", a Steve Earle-penned song that Clare accordionist Sharon Shannonhad recorded with the author years before.

In 2008 Mundy continually guested with Sharon Shannon's Big Band alongside Damien Dempsey and Shane MacGowan, turning up at The Glastonbury Festival as well as touring Ireland and the UK.

In 2009 Mundy recorded his fourth studio album, Strawberry Blood, with Irish producer Joe Chester, and mixed a number of tracks with UK producer Andy Bradfield. The album featured contributions from Shane MacGowanand Gemma Hayes and was released worldwide on iTunes with a bonus download video.

The album went into the Irish charts at No.14. During the sessions for Strawberry Blood, Mundy recorded several cover versions with Joe Chester, including Bob Dylan's Buckets Of Rain, Neil Young's Ohio and Simon and Garfunkel's Kathy's Song. These cover versions went on to be released on the follow-up, 2011's Shuffle.

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For more information on tour dates and album launch, follow Mundy on Instagram @mundy_music

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On this episode, Caren Sullivan Talks to artist Matthew Coll in 2021. It is a very candid episode, where we can hear how Matthew (an art student at the time) and his fellow pupils were coping with lockdowns and future uncertainties.

Matthew Coll is an Irish artist based in Dublin. He graduated from NCAD’s Fine Art Painting BA in 2022 and work predominantly in Painting, Sculpture and Installation. 

His practice explores the experience of "Being" and Memory, with recent work focusing on the subject matter of crowds. Utilising AI-image generation tools, found imagery and photography throughout his daily life as a starting point for source imagery.

His paint actual and imagined gatherings, ranging from joyous raves to monotonous commutes and turbulent riots. His aim to depict a reality slipping away, where Real and Unreal become indistinguishable. Distorting the image's origin through the painting process, often dragging and scraping paint across the surface and occasionally deconstructing structural components, pursuing a simultaneous harmony and conflict between points of representation and abstraction.

His work is part of several collections, including the OPW, St. Vincent’s University Hospital and Teeling Whiskey Distillery. They were awarded NCAD’s Clancy Quay Studio Graduate Residency Award 2023 / 2024, The Arts Council’s 2023 Agility Award & Fingal County Council's 2023 Artists' Support Scheme Bursary. 

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For more information, follow Matthew Coll on Instagram @matthewcoll.art

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On this episode, Caren Sullivan talks to artist and educator Mark O'Kelly in 2020.

The studio painting practice at the centre of O’Kelly’s artistic research demonstrates a sustained engagement with theories of materiality, representation, reproduction, display and quotation, towards investigations around questions of cognitive representation and the inherent psychological poetry of the image. The imagined public spaces that result within this architecture of pictures narrate consciousness-formation in the public interaction within contemporary cosmetic image cultures. 

Mark O’Kelly lives and works in Dublin and Limerick. He attended the National College of Art and Design and Slade School of Fine Art, London.

Recent selected exhibitions include Dubliners, 6th Biennial of Paintings Zagreb 2021, Ghosts From The Recent Past, Irish Museum Of Modern Art IMMA 2021, Its Very New School, Rua Red 2017, RHA Annual exhibition Royal Hibernian Academy, Gallagher Gallery, invited artist, 2018.

Collections, Irish Museum of Modern Art, The Arts Council of Ireland, AIB Bank, Bank of Ireland, Limerick City Gallery of Art, Athlone Institute of Technology, AXA Insurance, OPW Office of Public Works, Microsoft, Boyle Civic Collection, University College Dublin and Private collections in Ireland, UK and USA.

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For more information, follow Mark O'Kelly on Instagram @mark_okelly @ncad_painting

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On this episode, Caren Sullivan talks to artist and educator Neil Dunne in 2020.

Neil Dunne, an artist and educator based in Dublin, Ireland, embarks on a multifaceted exploration at the intersection of art and the urban landscape, drawing inspiration from the profound ideas of Guy Debord and the Situationist International.

His expanded print practice serves as a research vehicle, delving into the amalgamation of printed matter and paint, with a keen awareness of the distinct abilities each medium possesses to respond to the built environment.

Informed by the Situationist ethos, Dunne's work becomes a dynamic inquiry into the psychogeography of urban spaces, seeking to unravel the layers of memory, social movements, and sub-cultural tropes embedded within the cityscape. His research methodologies pivot on a profound sense of place, evolving from practical studies of physical space and expanding into urban semiotics and sub-cultural influences.

As an alum of The National College of Art and Design, where he earned his BA in 2014 and was awarded the NCAD Postgraduate Scholarship from 2015-2017.

Dunne's artistic journey has been marked by notable exhibitions, including The VUE Art Fair in 2018, where he earned a nomination for the Savilles Art Prize. His contributions extend globally, with exhibitions in Dublin, Hong Kong, and his works being collected by esteemed institutions and private collectors alike.

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For more information, follow Neil Dunne on Instagram @neildunnestudio

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On this episode, Caren Sullivan talks to artist Alison Pilkington in 2020.

Alison Pilkington in her own words;

"In my painting practice I tap into my inner world and personal experiences to conjure up strange and unsettling worlds where all is not entirely at ease. Humour, the absurd and private jokes abound in strange unsettling landscapes. Bizarre figures are recurring motifs. They can be viewed as tragi-comic and quasi- philosophical in tone. I strive to communicate a range of thoughts and emotions through the medium of painting.

 My work draws from a variety of eclectic influences from ‘high’ and ‘low’ culture.  From the classical painting of the 17th century western traditions to the writing of Stephen King and the humourist Ivor Cutler and the stories of James Joyce.  I frequently return to motifs and imagery and reuse and rework them into other paintings. I consider my paintings as visual and philosophical problem solving. I always focus on how imagery interacts with the intrinsic qualities of paint, how the paint material moves and how it can be played with. The quality of paint handling, although seemingly casual, is a result of repeated attempts at getting something 'right'.

My work has been included in key international painting exhibitions including the Marmite Painting Prize London , and the BEEP international painting Biennial Swansea as well as part of international private and public collections in Ireland OPW, UCD, Bank of Ireland, Wexford Co.Council,and  in private collections in Ireland The UK  the USA and Europe."

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For more information, follow Alison Pilkington on instagram @alisonpilk

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On this Christmas Special episode, Caren Sullivan talks to super talented musician Paddy Casey in 2020.

Paddy Casey received his first guitar when he was 12 and left home soon after and began busking and gigging for about 12 years. At about the age of 24 he was approached by Sony A&R Scout Hugh Murray at the International Bar in Dublin, while performing at the singer/songwriter night hosted by Dave Murphy. Sony gave Casey some studio time in Sun Studios Dublin where he recorded 9 tracks in 2 days. Sony decided that they liked the tracks so much that they wanted to release them as they were. They offered Paddy a recording contract. He was signed by Sony, and was eventually taken in by U2's management company, Principle Management.

Casey released his first album Amen (So Be It) in 1999. This album was produced by Pat Donne and was certified triple platinum in Ireland and did fairly well worldwide. "Sweet Suburban Sky" surfaced the following year on the soundtrack to the award-winning US TV teen drama Dawson’s Creek. Casey received nominations for Best Irish Songwriter and Best Male Singer at the Hot Press Awards. Touring saw Casey providing support to artists such as R.E.M, Ian Brown, Ani DiFranco and The Pretenders.

Casey returned in 2003 with the multi-platinum album, Living. It was produced by Fred De Faye, Paddy Casey and Pat Donne. It spawned the Irish Singles Chart hits "Saints and Sinners", "The Lucky One" (in 2003), plus "Bend Down Low" and "Want It Can't Have It" (in 2004). Living spent the majority of the year in the top ten, climbing to the top of the Irish Albums Chart 21 weeks after its initial release.

In 2005, Casey toured extensively in Ireland and abroad; highlights including a headline concert at the Heineken Green Energy Festival and also supported U2 on their Vertigo tour, performing in Ireland, Scotland and Norway.

In 2006, Casey went to Los Angeles, California, United States, to record with George Drakoulias, who had worked at the Def Jamlabel with Rick Rubin. He toured the album extensively and also toured with KT Tunstall and Augustana amongst others.

On 3 April 2008, Casey performed on the Late Show with David Letterman.

After returning from the US, Casey chose to part ways with Sony and Paul McGuinness, and for the next few years he began writing and recording at home. In November 2012, he released his first independent album The Secret Life Of. The first single, "Wait", featuring the Shannon Gospel Choir, was released in May 2012. Casey toured in Ireland and abroad for the last few years with frequent visits to Australia, Europe and the Middle East.

In November 2016, Casey released the single "Everything Must Change". This was the first taster taken from Casey's then forthcoming sixth album. In July 2017, Casey released "Turn This Ship Around", the second single from this forthcoming album.

Paddy Casey's double album Turn This Ship Around was released on August 6, 2021. Turn This Ship Around has one side focusing on an array of acoustic songs decorated with strings and piano, and the other side featuring an array of full band tracks that span multiple genres.

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For more information on tours dates and albums launch, follow Paddy Casey on Instagram @paddycaseymusic

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On this episode, Caren Sullivan talks to artist Jaki Irvine in 2020. It was a very unique episode where the artist decided to appear in the interview as a digital foam entity, a delight!

Using video installation, photography, music composition and writing, Jaki Irvine explores the complex ways we imagine ourselves and the world around us, a process which, for Irvine, has both philosophical and political implications.

Jaki Irvine has written many critical texts and short writings on other artists work in the past, including Extinction Beckons, for Mike Nelson, a book commissioned by Matts Gallery. In 2013 she wrote Days of Surrender, her first novel, published by Copy Press, UK.

Irvine is represented in the collections of IMMA, the Irish Arts Council, Tate Modern, FRAC and in numerous other collections, both public and private. In 2014 her permanent photographic commission, Shot in Mexico, was installed in the Deutsche Bank in Dublin.

In September, 2016, she presented If the Ground Should Open, a major new commission for the Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin. This was then shown at Frith Street Gallery, London, in 2017.

She is a member of Aosdana and an artist advisor at the Rijksakademie Amsterdam.

She is represented by Frith Street Gallery, London and Kerlin Gallery, Dublin.

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For more information, follow Jaki Irvine and galleries on Instagram @jakiirvine @kerlingallery @frithstreetgallery

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On this episode, Caren Sullivan talks to artist Colin Martin in 2020.

Colin Martin was born in Dublin in 1973.

He graduated from DIT in Fine Art- Painting in 1994 and completed a post-graduate year in printmaking in 2005. He completed an MFA at the National College of Art and Design in 2010. He lives and works in Dublin. In 2008 he was elected an associate member of the RHA.

He has been the recipient of numerous Awards including, in 2008 Thomas Dammann Travel Award; 2005 Ballinglen Arts Foundation Fellowship, 2005 RHA Hennessy Craig Scholarship, 2004 Golden Flee ce Merit Award, 2004 Travel Bursary Arts Council of Ireland, 2000 Tony O’ Malley Travel Award.

Colin Martin’s work is included in several important public and corporate collections including the OPW, AIB, Kelly's Hotel Rosslare, Boyle civic collection, Chester Beatty Library and ESB.

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Colin is currently curating RDS Visual Arts Awards show, opens on 22nd November 2024. For more information, follow Colin Martin on Instagram @colinmartin81

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