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John Fitzsimons graduated from the Dun Laoghaire Institute
of Design, Art and Technology (IADT) with an honours diploma
in fine art printmaking in 1995, and an honours degree in
fine art in 2000. He was a member of the Graphic Studio
Dublin from 1995 to 2008, where he regularly showed work as
well as in various other galleries around Ireland. In 1998
he was selected along with three other artists to show in an
exhibition in Sweden which was a collaboration of their
print studio in Stockholm and the Graphic print studio in
Dublin. Since 2006, John has been working for Stoney Road
Press editioning art. He also teaches a painting course with
the VEC in Lucan.
"Conversion" is John's
first solo exhibition. His work as a painter is influenced
by his involvement in print: using paint on paper (albeit
canvas-like cotton paper) as a medium, John works with
repetition a lot and employs paper to peel back layers of
paint. John also finds that the process-based techniques of
print making - sometimes seen as limiting by some - keep him
grounded particularly with regard to colour and scale as is
evident in the painting shown in this exhibition.
Amongst the artists that he has had the privilege to work
with and learn from at Stoney Road Press, john has been
particularly influenced by Patrick Scott and Brian O'Doherty.
Artist's statement: My work tends to be about me,
things that I go through in life are reflected in the work I
make. In my early days as a printmaker I used to draw
monsters. The monsters, although I never really talk about
my work, were about anxiety and fear that I had. I am now
much more positive and have made real changes in my life.
This work for me is about those changes. I have used a cube
as a symbol of something insular and contained and have
disassembled it and let it open out to reflect progression
in my life. The colour I use also shows an optimism. There
is still a very controlled aspect to the work which I think
holds on to some of the issues of control and anxiety I
still have.
Click here
to read the The Irish Art Blog's article on John.
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