A Suggested Theme

In response to Lisa Marie's email, I would like to propose "Gods and Masters" as a name for our exhibition.

As I have attended crits and been involved in some of the discussions it would seem to me that this would be a fitting title for the work that is emerging . Perhaps at this point we might prepare with this open ended idea in mind.

Gods....do we believe in Them, Him, Her, all or none of the above. Do we reject the notion of such an influence? Is the idea of God an outmoded one in this society, or is there still such a presence for us here now in this world? Is God an idea invented by men and women, or are we in receipt of constant promptings and reminders through our dreams or our consciousness in some mysterious way?

Masters..... Are we masters, or servants? Do we suffer at the hands of bad masters? Do we learn from our masters? Would we be any better as masters? Are we masters in the lives of other people? Is society in general in the control of masters? Do we effectively rebel against bad mastery? Are we really in control of our lives, of our decisions, our choices or do we fool ourselves into believing that we are? Do we take control or do we passively hand it on for comfort and for an easy life? Is society in general enslaved or is it (as we are so often told) happy and free?

I think I have seen these questions asked in different ways through the work I have viewed to far this year. (As I tread here as gently as I can please forgive me if my memory fails) Daniel spoke of his dreams as having an importance more real than the everyday. Gareth spoke of a search for freedom through the making of his work. Owen spoke of the questions that arose for him in his work concerning the death of a relative and matters that were raised for him as a result. Michael mentioned issues of mastery when speaking about the presence of soldiers in a foreign land. Maria spoke today also of the thin veneer of pleasure that is easily peeled away as you look at images on the internet that people have posted there of themselves enjoying their freedom in night clubs, cafes and restaurants.

In the current climate would it not be a poignant and bold decision to take on the questions that are evoked by the title "Gods and Masters". I would like to be part of a group that was courageous enough to do so. Perhaps we could reflect concerns about where we stand in relation to this. Perhaps we may even ... dare I say it... have some of the answers to the ills made most prominent at this time. It may be that we have a positive contribution to make. We may want to say that we feel dominated by Masters that have insisted on leading us here. We may wish to remind them that we warned them but were ignored. We may wish to take our share in the blame for going along. Or we may wish to let it be known that we never travelled with them nor do we ever intend to!

Wherever we stand, it would be good, I feel, to take a view . Perhaps we may have a view that would be beneficial to share with the general public at this time. Perhaps we have found out that there is a God? Perhaps we blame God for the way things are? Perhaps we blame people who gave God too much or not enough importance? Perhaps we have our own vision of the spiritual and would like to share it? Or perhaps we would like to reason with people using logic and good argument that relies on no assumptions about spirituality? Perhaps as artists we have a philosophy that may be useful to be aware of. I could certainly give a few pointers in how to live life with less money!!!!

I do not propose through this choice of theme that we lecture the public on our enlightened or darkened perception of the world. But I do suggest that we move forward in a focused direction with a reason for exhibiting and with an urgency about what we want to say. How many exhibitions have you seen that lack this ingredient? As the name of our course suggests we are all seeking to become masters. What is that exactly in the context of art? Is this not the perfect moment to demonstrate our level of ability attained.... not because we want to be boastful or egotistical , but because we truly believe we have something important to say to a waiting audience.

I await your response...
Sean O'Dwyer