Galway Advertiser 2002/2002_05_16/GA_16052002_E1_048.pdf 

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Bewick on Bewick

T h e a r t o f free expression - a n interview with Pauline Bewick
PAULINE BEWICK was in Galway last week for the opening of an exhibition of her work in the Galway City Library and to sign copies of the book Kelly reads Bewick. She spoke to Kernan Andrews about the book, her work, and politics. Bewick's work is one of the most d i s t i n c t i v e in Irish art. Her fertile imagination has created a world where the everyday is infused with a sense of the magical. It is strange and new, yet instantly recognisable and welcoming. Her work is given consistency by her distinctive style which is always linear and fluid, but subtle changes have been taking place. "That would be the word: Expressive," Bewick agrees. "I don't really understand the word yet I do - I express myself still in line, and tight line I suppose, as well in smaller pictures." However, Bewick considers her new, bigger pictures are allow more physical freedom as well as expressive freedom. "Maybe this is bringing the more physical into the painting using yourself physically and your whole body. There was still movement on my easel when I didn't swing my whole being like I do now, but this is more like exercises or dances because my canvasses are so big. These big ones I'm doing now keep me fit." Kelly reads Bewick, published by Galway publishers Arlen House, is a collection of 50 Bewick paintings from the 1980s to the present day, with accompanying interpretations by Galway poet Rita Kelly. How did this come about? "Well it was a new thing," she says. "Rita Kelly is a poet and writer I admire hugely. I'm dyslexic - Pat, my husband read her work to me - and I thought it was absolutely wonderful writing. She came to me for a cover for Travelling West. I always keep photos of my work as I'm an obsessive person and she went through these and her comments were so insightful. Her friend said: 'You should interpreted? T h e first 10 I think she sent me and Pat read them aloud to me, and they were so absolutely right, they got into a part of my psyche that I hadn't, but was expressed in my paintings. There w a s n ' t a j a r r i n g bit and I would recognise if it was jarring or high flown or affected. She's capable of two levels being unconsciously instinctive and intellectually aware." Kelly reads Bewick is an unusually large book. This is due to the manner in which Bewick prepared it. She had photocopied the paintings and placed them alongside the c o m m e n t a r i e s . "When Alan Hayes [of Arlen House] saw the layout and the size he wanted to go for it. Hayes wanted it as a big book which is very brave." Politics and healthy eating The General Election is tomorrow, Friday May 17. Has Bewick any preferred outcomes or issues she would like to see the next government deal with? "I am not political but I have strong ideas. Romio Schrasta, a Nepalese believes it's women who will work to heal the world and h e ' s making a collection of 1,000 godessess. I believe we should think on a worldwide level about healing and 1 know that word has hippy connotations - but overpopulation is a threat to happy living. Health is important. There are important issues that should be addressed like the shutting of Sellafiled and the protection of woodlands. I think the national stadium is a good idea as it's related to health. Politicians should get the big issues sorted out before they deal with the nitty gritty ones." And would she have any advice for those candidates who will win a seat in the Dail? "When people eat rubbish tempers are frayed," says the avowed vegetarian. "Politicians get angry when they've been eating bad food. How can you have a wonderful attitude when you are angered by too much wine?"

"I've looked back on my work, right Looking at a Bewick painting allows write about Pauline's work.' Rita said back to when I was two and a half and I the viewer access to a world where the 'May I ? ' and I said 'Yes. I would be can see a thread going the whole way imagination has roamed free. Whether thrilled. Take a bundle of these.'" through, which is that flowing line," she dealing with something deeply personal Bewick picked 50 of what she tells me as we sit in the Galway City or something as simple as a still life, her considered to be her best works for Kelly Library, surrounded by her pictures. images are subjected to a very personal to look at. "I do have pictures I think are " N o w in my mid 6 0 s , I notice my interpretation which make them 'Wow'," she says. "The ones in that book eyesight isn't absolutely the best, so I do distinguisable as a Bewick work. Where are all 'Wows' as far as I'm concerned." huge pictures now. They have become did such an unfettered imagination come However, does Bewick like being wilder by necessity because before I had from? such sharp eyesight I could do detail. I "That's a very good thing you say: miss that detail. It w a s a difficult Unfettered," replies Bewick. "My mother transition but I was sitting with an old definitely believed in no rules or laws woman artist friend of mine, who is 90, about anything. So therefore I'm not in and she said: 'I find the lack of sharpness awe of anybody, but I ' m in awe of of eyesight has actually been an everybody. I don't think if I met the advantage in that I've got looser' and I queen I would say 'Oh my God' and get thought 'Gosh, yes, what a positive all shaky. Therefore I have that freedom outlook' and I though, well, I'll get in that sense from other human beings. I wilder and bigger and it'll suit my d o n ' t mind people seeing my inner eyesight. In Kelly reads Bewick there are thoughts about myself or my sexy about three of those big wild paintings." pictures, or any of my thoughts about women, such as 'Mother of Three' in Many artists consider that loose and Kelly Reads Bewick. I think it comes fluid brushwork allows greater self from my mother. A lovely clear expression by freeing up both the style and the way paint is applied. Has passageway from the unconscious of my loosening up her style allowed her to mind onto the canvas of the paper." become more expressive? Kelly reads Bewick

P A U L I N E B E W I C K takes us on , guided tour through some of the works she c u r r e n t l y h a s on show at The Galway City Library. The exhibition runs until the end of May. T h e l i m i t e d edition of 75 water colours "All of them are sold. Some people are reselling them at three times the price. I have no control over that." Bewick's sketch book colleci "I have an elephant in Nepal, an outrageously gay man in Soho, with a half rainbow, a drawing of Gare Boylan, who's a good friend of mineL* New York Suitcase 'This is about my time in New York, which I've only just come back from. 1 bought this case in an antique shop in Kilbraggin and I left it in the ear in the airport. I was lying on my bed, which is in my studio, and the shadows on the dirt of the case suggested the sky scrapers of New York and I popped out of bed and drew the sky line. Central Park and Hell's Kitchen where I'll be having an exhibition." I l l u s t r a t i o n s t o People by John Maguire "John wrote a long poem and there's 32 illustrations from me. That collections is for sale. It would be fun if I sold fl." The Yellow Man "In 1996 I had an exhibition of The Yellow Man and I thought I could drop d e a d after that as he sums up my philosophy and my ideal of life. He comes from Tuscany and lives in our house in Tuscany. He's unaware of his nakedness and he has an erection as he loves nature so much. Here he's at school trying to learn from the teacher. His antennae are warm as he's listening- He s terribly sensitive and not judgmental. He buys a newspaper and is shocked at pollution, robbery, and explosions, and that's political and I thought I wasn't" Books by and about Bewick "The Matchless Mice -1 had great fun illustrating them. There's my mothers book. There's an illustration I did for Thirty Three Triads by Thomas Kinselk If you find a book by Dolmen press no* it's very valuable."

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