Maria’s Time-Lapse solo exhibition is on the move again

Ballybofey artist and poet Maria Noonan McDermott’s touring solo exhibition of art and poetry, Time-Lapse, is on the road again, this time to the Solas Art Gallery in Ballinamore, Co Leitrim.

The exhibition will be officially opened by renowned artist Louis McLoughlin on Friday April 21 at 7.30pm and will continue until May 13.

Maria now lives and works from her studio in Kinlough. She is ideally nestled between the Sligo, Donegal and Fermanagh borders. a constant inspiration for her work.

She exhibits throughout Ireland and including in galleries in Dublin, Leitrim, Sligo, Donegal, Clare, Fermanagh and Antrim. Her work is held in private and corporate collections throughout Ireland, England, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Canada and America.

You can check out more of her work at https://www.marianoonan-mcdermott.com

With a love of folklore and story-telling, Noonan McDermott’s inspirations lie in rural Ireland. It is in these magical places that share a colloquial history where stories and the people are often intermingled with the landscape.

“My work is influenced by a deep connection with the natural environment, the beautiful rugged Irish landscape with its endlessly changing skies and dramatic seas. I am equally fascinated by the people that the land holds so tightly.

“I've always been in awe of the storyteller, those gifted people who beguile you with their fantasy worlds, who immerse you so deeply, you cry, laugh and seethe with frustration. To me, this is true magic, possessing the rare skill of creating something from nothing, evoking such passion and emotion.

“Growing up I found words didn’t come so easily to me, art became my outlet. I was transformed into the Cailleach Feasa, the storyteller.

“I recollected and resurrected all the tales from times gone by, breathing life back into places and quirky characters I met along the way.

“I was raised in a small town and like similar communities in Ireland, it was filled with the most amazing characters.

‘Fantastical stories’
“As a child, my head was filled with fantastical stories told and dramatised by neighbours and family, the gatekeepers of local history.

“These tales were, of course, exaggerated and embellished with such fun and fervour, like only true Irish seanchai can, that I couldn't help growing up with a great love of the people around me and their fascinating antics.

“In my work, I narrate the stories with colour and humour as over the years they’ve formed and shaped in my memory.

“My paintings become the text and you become the reader and as the reader, you are challenged to participate and choose your own journey. In this way, enabling the story to live all over again!

“Over the years my paintings have developed and evolved.

“The sense of who I am, my personal philosophy and spiritual growth all contribute to my belief that we are all bound in kinship to each other and to the land.

“This attachment is ingrained in my work and I strive to bring forth its warmth in the most honest and pure way I know how.”
Maria’s work evokes a stimulating experience as she weaves together words, imagery and emotion.

Creativity
It is a testament to the power of her creativity and imagination and a true celebration of the human spirit.

This latest offering Time-Lapse is the culmination of an ongoing project that she has been working on for a number of years, and is inspired by her own personal experiences as a caregiver for her mother living with Alzheimer’s.

She explores the complexities of time, memory and loss in a series of new paintings, original poetry and installations.

Through her artwork, she portrays the untethering of time that comes with Alzheimer's and the archaeological uncovering of a parent's entire life that arrives with their death.

Her thought-provoking, heartwarming and emotive paintings, coupled with her poignant poetry, create an experience that invites viewers to pause and reflect on the cherished moments that shaped their lives and to contemplate their own experiences of grief, love and the cyclical nature of life.

“I’d like to acknowledge support from Leitrim County Council, the Irish Hospice Foundation in association with the Creative Ireland programme and a special thank you to the Donegal County Council for funding that was granted through the Artists Bursary Scheme 2023,” she said.