Cliona Maher opens Arcadian exhibition at The Narrow Space Gallery in Clonmel  

‘There is an overarching sense of place and atmosphere in these paintings – from the light and airy familiar scenes of silos, yards, chicken coops where there’s also ruin and use, giving a window into the rural landscape that informs and inspires Lesley Cox’s work,’ said Cliona Maher, Director of Clonmel Junction Arts Festival,  at the recent opening of Arcadian, an exhibition of oil paintings by west Cork based artist Lesley Cox.

‘I am always struck by the inexplicable joy I have in the fact that the application of oil and pigment on canvas or linen fabric can create something other, recognizable and beyond the physical materials used. Here in these paintings Lesley conjures light, creates sea and sky and plants and buildings, and both gives and invokes in the viewer a mood or atmosphere . We know what the weather is like in the painting because we recognize it instantly,’ she continued.

Cliona went on to wish the exhibition great success and to hope that many of the pieces would go on to hang in a living room or an office because as she said, artists deserve our respect for the training, practice and time spent creating each and every artwork!

Arcadian runs until Saturday 17 June 2023. The Narrow Space is open Tuesday – Saturday, 10.30am to 5.30pm, admission is free and everyone is welcome.