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Until recently, Celtic art was nearly a lost
art, a cultural remnant of Bronze Age warriors and early medieval monks. Today, due
to the resurgence of all things Celtic, we have artists on both sides of the Atlantic who
have mastered the elements of this ancient art form and are using these elements to
express contemporary ideas, while retaining the essence of the style.
From 2000 to
2002, American viewers have had the
opportunity to see first hand the creations of some of the foremost illuminators of 21st
century Celtic art.
With their uniquely American perspective, artists Cindy
Matyi, Steve O'Loughlin, Jen Delyth, Michael Carroll and Patrick Gallagher use their
Celtic art skills to reflect spiritual, social and interactive life at the turn of the
millennium. Expressing the realities and conundrums of modern life through the
indirectness of symbols, these artists somehow "interlace" several thousand
years of humanity together in an intuitive way.
Without exception, the reaction to their work
has been an unqualified acceptance and sense of wonder.
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Opening
Reception August 16, 2000, at the Irish Cultural Heritage Center,
Milwaukee, WI.
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Left to Right: Steve O'Loughlin, Cindy Matyi,
Patrick Gallagher, Jen Delyth and Michael Carroll. (Photo
courtesy of Jean Bills, ICHC)
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CINDY MATYI (Cincinnati, OH) has been
creating large oil paintings using Celtic design since 1989 and is also a musician and
arts organizer. She has had several solo exhibitions and recently showed 16
paintings at the Irish Cultural Heritage Center in Milwaukee. Cindy is the creator and
Coordinator of the American Celtic Exhibition. "I
feel that this style, with its fantastical variations on the interconnectedness of the
natural world, adapts well to the themes of my work which include ecology, peace, renewal
and creativity. Celtic designs fascinate people, and I add many chromatic variations
to delight and attract viewers on an aesthetic basis, while gently luring them into the
world of the painting and the message it contains."
home.fuse.net/smatyi |
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STEVE O'LOUGHLIN (Los Angeles, CA) has
been making Celtic art since 1988 and produces large paintings on wood, often containing
sculptural elements. He is also a Celtic musician. His hip, urban Celtic style
was recently featured in the book "New Visions in Celtic Art" edited by David
James and published by Cassell, 1999. "The
interlace figures of Celtic art have become a marvelous storytelling device . . . acting
out modern dramas and situations. The Los Angeles riots, freeway culture, shopping
malls, multicultural neighborhoods and even television are some of the themes I've touched
upon."
www.stevenoloughlin.com |
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MICHAEL CARROLL (Chicago, IL) has been
a freelance artist and calligrapher since 1989, and is also a musician. Since 1994
he has worked exclusively in the early Christian Celtic style. Using many of
the same construction methods and tools used in the eighth century monasteries, Michael
continues in the monks' footsteps, creating richly illuminated vellum pages which look as
if they were lost folios from the Book of Kells. "While most people merely look at the Book of Kells, I
practically live and breathe the Book of Kells . . . Celtic calligraphic art has retained
all of its elegance and communicative power into the modern age, it remains as useful and
vital today as it was over a thousand years ago. In designing and creating new
Celtic art I hope to prove this again and again."
www.mccelticdesign.com |
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JEN DELYTH (San Francisco, CA),
originally from Wales, Celtic designer and digital video artist, now lives and works out
of San Francisco and is known for her graphic designs of mythological concepts in a
contemporary world. Her intricate works blend traditional spirals, interlace and
zoomorphics into modern compositions rich in symbol and myth. "Expression using a visual medium is more gratifying
than using words . . . within the geometry and the organic rhythmic curves of Celtic
knotwork, there is a sense of profundity underlying the two dimensional
abstractions. Using this design language, I weave Celtic patterns into original
designs which communicate the spiritual nature of the symbol."
www.kelticdesigns.com |
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PATRICK GALLAGHER (Wharton, New
Jersey) has spent the last twenty years studying and creating Celtic Art. He has
distinguished himself as an artist, lecturer, master printmaker, and teacher, sharing his
art form at over 500 events to date. Current projects include: teaching
classes, architectural design, church decoration, murals, and producing the "American
Celtic Television" program for cable television. "Translating the old myths, stories and symbols to the
contemporary tribe is the work of the Celtic artist as well the Celtic craftsperson.
Essentially, this role remains now, as it was in the past, a rare honor."
www.celtart.com |
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Show
Dates
and Locations
August 16 - October 15,
2000
Irish Cultural Heritage Center
Milwaukee, WI
October 26 - December
31, 2000
NY Irish Arts Center
New York, NY
January 5 - February
12, 2001
Wheeling Artisan Center
Wheeling, WV |
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February 16 - April 8, 2001
Central Library Gallery
Lexington, KY
April 20 - June 15, 2001
University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, OH
June 1-
December 31, 2002
City Museum
St.Louis, MO 63103
August 2001 -
April 2002
Irish American Heritage
Center
Chicago, IL |
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