Past Exhibitions
Share“ Why do the bubbles in a cup of tea range round the side of the cup?
Because the cup attracts them.
Why do all the little bubbles tend towards the large ones?
Because the large bubbles (being superior masses) attract them.
Why are the sides of a pond covered with leaves while the middle of the pond is quite clear?
Because the shore attracts the leaves to itself.
Why do all fruits (when severed from the tree) fall to Earth?
Because the Earth attracts them.”
A Knowledge of Things Familiar examines the notion of familiar in the everyday. It questions our knowledge of ‘things’ themselves, how we interpret objects in terms of their function, associations and meaning. The work in the exhibition reflects on a range of areas, from Wilhelm Reich’s research into Orgone energy, to Radionics (a study of the effects of sound frequencies on the body). Focusing on relatively imperceptible sounds, vibrations and energy fields, David Beattie will present a series of objects and sculptures to reflect these studies. A Knowledge of Things Familiar will be exhibited at Temple Bar Gallery + Studios from 27th May – 30th June 2011.
Concentrating on the principles of the electromagnetic spectrum, Beattie explores various recognisable forms of this spectrum. Playing with the idea of familiar and unfamiliar, much of the work is an attempt to heighten our experience of infrasounds. Infrasounds are those below 20hz and generally inaudible to the human ear. For this exhibition, Beattie presents apparatuses that capture, emit and receive these frequencies, exploring the physicality of sound and its effect on the body. In the work 18hz, a speaker bounces this particular frequency off a piece of free-standing glass. At 18hz the human eye is thought to resonate causing hallucinations in the form of shadows or ghost-like forms . Beattie utilises this sensation to draw our attention to the physical nature of the sound wave, as it moves around the space in which we stand.
Within science, religion and mathematics we create various systems of language and thought to help us consciously or unconsciously decipher meaning from the mundane. The work in this exhibition explores modes of visualising ‘hidden’ energies and in turn questions our perception of the familiar in the everyday.
David Beattie lives and works in Dublin, Ireland. He graduated in 2006 with an MA in Visual Art Practices from Dun Laoghaire IADT and in 2001 received his BA from the National College of Art and Design, Dublin. He has received a number of awards including an Arts Council Artists Bursary in 2010 and the Harpo Foundation Award 2009. Recent solo exhibitions include: Patterns of Illumination, RUA RED, Dublin, 2011; Old Light, New Darkness, The Mattress Factory Art Museum, Pittsburgh, USA, 2010; The Weight of the Sky, The Mercer Union Centre for Contemporary Art, Toronto, Canada, 2010; Remote Control, Butler Gallery, Kilkenny, 2009; Selected group exhibitions include Holding Together, Douglas Hyde Gallery, Dublin, 2010, La Part des Choses, Mains d’Œuvres - Saint Ouen, Paris, France, 2010, There is No Solution Because There is No Problem, Art Sheffield Fringe 2010, UK; Miscellany, Outlet Gallery, Manchester, 2009; The Quiet Revolution as part of the Hayward Touring Programme, Milton Keynes Gallery, UK, 2009; Corpus Callosum, Studio 1.1, London 2009.
[1]Ebenezer Brewer, A Guide to the Scientific Knowledge of Things Familiar, 1851 (Re-print 2010), p.386
[1]V. Tandy; T. Lawrence, "The Ghost in the Machine", Journal of the Society for Psychical Research, April 1998.
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Preview
Thursday 26 May, 6 - 8pm