Larry Dunne is an artist of vision
ENNISCORTHY artist Larry Dunne is in many ways a man on a mission.
A co-founder of the annual Enniscorthy Arts Trail, along with Nadia Corridan and Lisa Byrne, he held his first solo exhibition in the Presentation Centre last year.
That exhibition, ‘Quare Taken’, received rave reviews but it was also a very personal endeavour for the down-to-earth, friendly artist who in some ways comes across as being someone who is not fully aware of just how talented he is.
The exhibition featured paintings, illustrations and murals that reflected on Dunne’s teenage years in Enniscorthy and the extreme homophobia he endured for almost a decade.
At the time of the exhibition the artist called on those in positions of power and privilege within communities throughout Wexford and nationally to be more vigilant in calling out bigotry and injustices prevalent in Irish society.
For Dunne, issues in rural society are a particular concern and through his work he tries to express the feelings he has inside as a result of his own experiences while also casting a light on issues experienced by other people in society who may not be able to have their voices heard.
With that in mind artists like him are invaluable as they, along with similarly minded writers, poets and songwriters, bring attention on a sector of society that can sometimes be forgotten.
Always keeping an eye out for others and acutely aware of the importance of ensuring one’s mental health is as healthy as physical fitness, images of his annual Slaney Street umbrellas initiative are currently available on the Enniscorthy Art Trail’s social media pages for people to print out.
As he pointed out himself: ‘ They can be printed out for free, for kids and families to colour in together during the isolation caused by the Covid-19 outbreak.’
His own exhibition work is astounding in its detail and intricate nature.
Surreal and often finished in vibrant colours his work focusses mainly on imaginative subversions of architecture, religious iconography, mythology, flora, fauna and aquatic environments.
His work could as easily adorn the cover of a Death
Metal band album as it could the cover of a children’s fantasy storybook.
While he describes himself as ‘an illustrator’ there is far more depth and meaning to this talented artist’s work than any one title could capture.
Possessing a BA in Fine Art Painting, from NCAD, Dublin, and a PGDip in Cultural Event Management from IADT, Dún Laoghaire, Larry Dunne is an artist whose work tackles topics such as homophobia and mental health which are two things he admits that he himself has historically struggled with.
The onset of the coronavirus has put the entire world on lockdown in a way that most people have never experienced before and are unlikely to again.
It’s possible there will be major societal changes as a result of the outbreak and the way people interact with each other could, potentially, change forever.
With that in mind the work of artists like Larry Dunne is even more important than it ever.
As works in their own right his paintings and illustrations are exemplary as examples of an artist at the top of his game but as vibrant, visuals expressions of social commentary they are invaluable.