Curator Note x Sophie Murphy
Different, Different, but Same?
Sometimes, if not oftentimes, you may read two notably distinct stories, one about something as mundane as the weather and the other about something as profound as transcendance, yet somehow you know unequivocally these stories originated from the same mind. Through the use of various quirks - syntax, metaphor, message, imagery, risks, mistakes, anything really - these elements provide an authentic trail of evidence of its inventor. We may know someone who enjoys wearing penny loafers with high-tech compression sport socks - two items that under popular opinion should not go well together - but somehow they really do seem to go well together, when that person (and only that person) wears them.
Perhaps this is what makes the Decameron so absurd and compelling - not just the different topics, or the differences of each Brigata members’s interpretation on a given topic, but rather the undeniable similarities - found in each of the stories told by one storyteller, on completely distinct topics.
Regardless how distinctive a set of artworks may be, a thread may reveal itself, perhaps even accidentally, and become too obvious to notice anything else at all.
PETER DOYLE
constant worry (day 15), 48” x 60”, Acrylic on canvas, 2020
NEIL DUNNE
Remnants, 59” x 45”, Acrylic, spray paint, oil pastel and silkscreen ink on canvas, 2020
“The adjustment we have all had to make, not just creatives, has altered how we live our lives. I initially found this quite difficult to adapt to. It meant less studio time, exploring less of the outside world and creating those intimate moments with other people that spur on our creative intuitions.
I felt more ambitious to create smaller works from my home - mainly focusing on drawing. Work's like "Remnants" came at the transitional stage of normal life to quarantine. They had been preempted a little more I guess, but I had an urge during that time to create as much as I could. In hindsight, I probably noticed the severity of COVID and filtered those emotions through to my paintings.
Currently, quarantine feels as if it is coming into its final weeks ( possibly days) and then starts the long journey of recuperating our lives. Although (at least on a personal level) I think that will be a little more fluid, at least I hope. Undoubtedly there will be a creative spurt, the excitement of being able to create again - the way I used to - will be a really amazing feeling. I've planned countless paintings, all ambitious and reflective. Interestingly, having the time to think about the work a lot more will affect my paintings, it’s a luxury I didn't have prior to this pandemic with rolling deadlines and general life.”
KATHRYN ROSE
Ravenous Wallpaper: A complete guide on how to prevent your wallpaper from developing carnivorous tendencies, 36” X 24”, Oil paint on canvas, 2020
“After recovering from Covid-19 and being constantly worried about my loved ones, the walls of my room suddenly seem much brighter than they did a few months ago. I have recently found myself discovering magic within the boundaries of my house, dancing alone, and talking to my plants. I am finally allowing myself to take the time to experience all the colors around me rather than rushing through the day. I have noticed that I am becoming a more positive version of myself. I am full of gratitude. Also, my plants are flourishing. Apparently talking to them works wonders. Who knew? Probably a lot of people, but I didn't.”
HARRIET BRUCE
The Brigata - A3 Riso Double sided Risograph Print zine. CLICK HERE FOR PDF.
Can be printed at a4 normal printer scale for those who want to make their own zine
“Finding myself in a modern day pandemic lockdown, I was drawn to the physical and mental structures we are creating for ourselves out of the fear of the unknown. I am also reading and exchanging stories to pass the time (mainly on social media) and realised, like The Decameron, that we are creating many stories caught within a larger story that might be written out one day. So I've created an interactive image, echoing a book structure with the humble zine, made up of many images that can be seen from different angles with nods to abstract storytelling (Alice in wonderland) and Russian folklore with themes of deception, isolation and safety. The zine format allows each folded page to isolate a snapshot of my own experiences of this bizarre shared social separation but, when unfolded, reveal the interwoven stories morphing into a larger coherent structure - a reminder we are all in this together.”
The backside of this zine is made up of scans from the first edition Decameron
