William A. Curran's paintings currently on show at the Triskel Arts Centre stem primarily from a single source - namely interior stairwells within Dublin City apartment complexes. His approach is not explicitly analytical, although some of the works, when viewed from a distance, are quite convincing in their representation of space and light. These aspects were to provide the original inspiration for the artist.
A number of the paintings are arranged to exaggerate the sense of isolation and loneliness so aptly suggested by the low-key earthy palette. However, there is really only one single composition, and this is used religiously with little variation. That said, it remains a compelling view, as the top of the stairwell is inviting, but the surrounding shadowy corners are quite threatening, potentially concealing hidden dangers.
Many of the remaining paintings are essentially abstract, but these rest comfortably with the spatial works as the exploration of surface ties in with the degraded, graffitied corridors of the apartments. But the ambition of these works is loftier than just an exercise in surface textures, as Curran searches for the sublime within these humble origins. The use of gold leaf and crimson invites an analogy with classical ideals of beauty, grace and religious serenity.
This search for the aesthetic in the most unlikely of places is seen best in Chop Chop, where the burst of gold against a pitch mahogany brown has a certain timelessness to it, while the collaged text, mundane in most respects, becomes an enigmatic tablature.
Runs until 20th September
