Kreis

by Gail Ritchie, until 1st September 2009

Kreis, (German for 'circle') is the name of a process based , conceptual work by Belfast based artist, Gail Ritchie. Via an illustrated wall diagram, the artist invites the viewer to follow her thoughts which 'circle' around the central theme of 'conflict'. Seen mostly through the lens of European history, research has taken the artist to the Somme battlefields in France, to Berlin and the forests of the former East and more locally, to derelict coastal defences around the Ards Peninsula. Woven through the theme is an attempt to begin to unpick the architectural language of Memorials and the beginnings of an idea for a 'Universal Memorial'. As is frequently the case with Ritchie's work, there is often a back story to the central theme, in this instance her interpretation of the word 'fallen' to describe both those killed in battle and trees 'felled' for commercial gain.

The exhibition offers the viewer a rare and unique insight into how an artist might develop a theme and it is at once both intimate and provocative, sombre and elegantly executed.

Artist's Statement -

Although no longer working in the field as an archaeological excavator, my work plays with the traditions and conventions of both visual art and archaeology, allowing both procedures to interlink and interfere with each other. There is a scientific element to the work reflecting a quest into the truth about death and decay. The visual language used must be as unflinching as forensics and the technique used to produce images or sculpture reflects this. The image is distilled and free from nostalgia. Artefacts and animals which hold an aura of memory and meaning and which may be enigmatic in terms of cultural and mythological associations intrigue me. The work draws on many references, cultural and historical and operates across a variety of means from installation, to photography to sound and object based pieces. I recycle motifs throughout my work, in whichever media, and this reflects how the nature of meaning is fluid and changing. The recombination of motifs energises possibilities within the narratives. In this respect, all work to date is work in progress, a circular exploration of memory and memorial.