Talented Longford artist's new role as mother inspired some work in fifth solo exhibition

Talented Longford artist Ciara Tuite's new solo exhibition 'Daisy Chains||Data Trail' was officially opened on Saturday, April 4th at the Ballina Arts Centre in county Mayo.

The exhibition was opened by the former Royal Hibernian Academy of Arts director and the shows curator Patrick T Murphy.

This is the artists fifth solo exhibition as she continues on the recurrent theme in her work 'body memory' and how that affects the way we navigate the world through the ages.

Ciara is renowned for her colourful abstract expressionist work and she has been focusing on interesting topics over the years that resonate with viewers.

This particular show is no different as she focuses on 'old practices' and 'ancient rituals that are embedded in our DNA.

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She is asking the question whether it is perhaps time to bring some of these back into our lives to walk alongside the digital world to promote a sense of balance and peace with ourselves and around us.

Ciara explains how her new role as a mother has informed some of the pieces on display as she begins to yearn for analogue days.

She said she realises more than ever the importance of establishing old practices back into her own life to lead by good example for the next generation, 'Monkey Sea, Monkey Do' .

This is easier said than done, she explains but the overall premise is to be observed 'stone skimming instead of phone scrolling' in front of her child.

The show is multi-disciplinary featuring various size paintings, installation and perhaps some recognizable objects that might prompt some nostalgia.

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Like the Fisher Price tape recorder which is featured on a plinth, to highlight a longing to listen to music on a tape once again, from start to finish.

And hearing the definitive click of the 'on' 'off' button' as opposed to the constant scrolling on Spotify, interrupted by advertisements and potentially not listening to anything at all.

She has also placed the popular Rubik's Cube toy on a plinth to suggest the importance of keeping the dexterity in our hands alive, brain hand coordination and concentration in an otherwise 'Insta' society.

The theme will strike a chord across many generations as our society begins to see the affects a very digitised world can have on our minds.

There is no doubt we could all take a moment to reflect on what is being mentioned here.

However, the artist states that she is not advocating for getting rid of new technology, rather she is suggesting bringing back some of the 'old' in a world that might feel off kilter.

Again she is not speaking about complex rituals, it is about simple familiar actions like - putting our face towards the sun
instead of the screen every so often to feel a moment of off in an always on world or looking towards the sky to read the weather instead of on Google.

It is about chanting, dancing, mark making - practices that are already inherent within our being.

The show features nineteen paintings, including three small diptychs, completed throughout the past five years, and they are defined by bright colours and abstract gestural marks.

Large pieces like 'A Lost Paradise' hints at our need to connect back with the natural world - honouring our ancestors and reawakening a knowledge that is dormant within, which is often overshadowed by modernity.

Ciara invites the viewer to reflect further on the theme through engaging titles like, 'The Art of Stone Skimming' , 'Monkey, Donkey, Do', and 'Barefoot Poseidon', synonymous with how she had exhibited in the past.

All the works are open to interpretation and the titles are not there to lead the narrative but are a gentle prompt for further reflection by the audience.

"If I can get one person to pick up a pebble and skim it across the ocean surface next time they are out on their walk, then the work here has served a purpose.

"Because a moment away form the screen, in touch with the elements has a subtle impact and ripple effect on the world and on the next generation," she added.

As a new mother, Ciara feels the need for both the technological and natural worlds to exist in unison and in 'balance' which
she believes can be done if we consciously choose to do so.

To get a full overview of the complete works on display, there is an audio available in situ in the gallery or online at https://soundcloud.com/ballina-arts-centre/ciara-tuite-audio-guide-daisy.

This is a great addition to the exhibition, allowing access to the mind and work of an abstract artist and how Daisy Chains||Data Trails came about.

The exhibition runs until 30th May allowing plenty of time to get to experience this show. For more information you can follow the artist @cicituite or www.ciaratuite.com