BIOGRAPHY
Pauline O’Connell (b. Dublin, Ireland, 1971) is an artist, researcher, curator, occasional lecturer and writer. She studied Fine Art at DLIADT, Co. Dublin from 1988 – 1992 (Dip. Hons) and Social Practice at LSAD, LIT from 2011 – 2012 (MA 1st class Hons.). She is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Amsterdam’s School of Heritage, Memory and Material Culture (AHM) where she is researching ‘postrural’ identity – taking an (auto) ethnographic position.
Past public projects include Drawing The Water, % For Art, Co. Kerry; Regeneration, % For Art, Co. Sligo in collaboration with Martina Coyle and Hillary Gilligan; The Plain of Silver Wood, % For Art, Co. Kilkenny; The Orchard, % For Art, Waterford. Current projects include: Above The Snowline, Beating the Bounds and The Community Field.
Recent exhibitions include Lacuna 04 at Taylor Galleries Dublin (2017), Our Journey to Here at Visual Centre for Contemporary Art, Carlow (2016) and a touring exhibition Art and Agriculture II at Leitrim Sculpture Centre Gallery travelling to Roscommon Arts Centre (2015).
Recently accolades include a Bursary from University College Cork and the 49th Conference of Irish Geographers for Art and Geography, May 2017; a nomination by Irish Museum of Modern Art and CREATE Ireland for an Artist Residency with Sweetwater Foundation and Hyde Park Art Center Chicago 2017 (shortlisted).
O’Connell works between County Kilkenny, Ireland and Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
CURRICULUM VITAE
| Personal Details | |
| Date of birth | 14/1/1971 |
| Education | 1983 -1988 Loreto Convent, Kilkenny |
| 1988 - 1993 Dun Laoghaire College of Art & Design (DLIADT), Co. Dublin | |
| 2011- 2012 Limerick School of Art Design & Technology, LIT | |
| 2016 – 2020 PhD candidate University of Amsterdam | |
| Qualifications | 1988 - 1989 NCEA Foundation Studies (NCEA Certificate) |
| 1989 -1993 NCEA Diploma in Fine Art - Mixed Media (NCEA Diploma- Merit) | |
| 2011- 2012 MA Social Practice & The Creative Environment, Limerick School of Art Design & Technology (awarded 1st Class Honors Degree by LIT) | |
| Irish Artist Tax Exemption since 1997, Member of The Visual Artists Ireland, CREATE; National Development Agency for Collaborative Art, Cultural Advisor - Castlewarren Cultural Development Group since 2012. | |
| Professional Experience | |
| 2016-2015 | Our Journey To Here project developed and co-curated by Pauline O’Connell in collaboration with County Carlow Women’s Network and VISUAL, supported by CCWN, Carlow County Council Arts Office and VISUAL Oct.’15 - Jan. ’16, invited |
| 2015 | Invited curator, OAK, Killenure Castle, Co. Tipperary, invited |
| 2014 | Independent Evaluator Contemporary Self Portraits Project 2012 – 2014, project partners include the National College of Art & Design (Dublin, Ireland), Bildmuseet (Umeå, Sweden), the Tallinn Academy of Arts (Estonia) and the International Summer School of Photography (ISSP, Riga, Latvia). The project was coordinated by the Arts Academy of Turku University of Applied Sciences and is funded by the EU Culture Programme www.contemporaryselfportraits.com |
| 2013 | CSP Mid-Term Independent Evaluation; invited by NCAD to moderate, give feedback on mid-term Contemporary Self Portrait projects, make recommendations and highlight gaps in terms of pedagogical methodologies, workshop construction, participant involvement and hosting a workshop – how to formulate a shared evaluation criteria. |
| 2006 | Invited joint curator with Dr. Anne Price Owen: Sculpture at Kells, Co. Kilkenny and Strata Florida Abbey, Wales |
| 1996-2011 | Curator / tutor / initiator of Master Classes & Professional Development for artists at The Fire Station Artists’ Studios, Dublin www.firestation.ie/skills/host-artists |
| 1997 | Inner Art coordinator, technician - temporary site specific projects within Dublin’s North Inner City area www.firestation.ie/programme/project/inner-art/ |
| 1994-1995 | The Sculptors Society of Ireland, (VAI) Board of Directors |
| Random Access; committee member | |
| 1993-1996 | Sculpture in Context; committee member, I initiated & coordinated sculpture exhibitions in Fernhill Gardens, Malahide Castle Demesne, The Conrad Hotel |
| 1993-1994 | ‘Siolru’, National Maternity Hospital Centenary Arts Programme, Committee Member; I initiated & coordinated the first Arts & Health, (site-responsive) project in Ireland within the hospital to co-inside with the Centenary celebrations |
| Teaching Employment | |
| 2013 | St. Patrick's College, DCU, Drumcondra, B. Ed. 1st yr., term 1 (Art Department) |
| 2002-2006 | M.Ed., Post Graduate and B. Ed. 1st, 2nd, 3rd yr. art lecturer. |
| 2009-present | Kilkenny School Project, ‘Arts For All’ invited artist in the classroom |
| 2013,’10 & ‘09 | Tallaght Children’s Festival, artist in residence |
| 2008-2009 | Busy Bees Montessori, art facilitator / educator |
| 2007 | Grass Roots Creche, summer art facilitator / early yrs. art education |
| 2001 & 2002 | Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art Design & Technology, Co |
| Dublin, 2nd yr. Diploma Access & Foundation students - lecturer in sculpture | |
| 2000 | 1st yr. Diploma Access students - lecturer in sculpture |
| 1996 | Webster University, Vienna, Viennese Actionism module |
| 1995-2002 | Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery, Dublin - outreach children’s art facilitator: designing, coordinating and hosting workshops for children of all ages in the gallery on ‘Open Family Days’; designing specific workshops to suit particular age groups in relation to singular art works and / or gallery exhibitions in an outreach capacity. |
| Selected Residencies / Symposia | |
| 2015 | ‘Art and Agriculture II', The Milk Well and The Tea Well, Leitrim Sculpture Centre, Manorhamilton, 6 week research residency curated by Sean O'Reilly and Linda Shevlin funded by the Arts Council/ An Chomhairle Ealaionn |
| 2013 | Fire Station Artists Studios, 1 month Digital Support Residency (Sept.) |
| 2012 | Waterwheel Symposium International Water Day, International interactive web event |
| 1999, ‘94, ‘01 | The Tyrone Guthrie Centre, Co. Monaghan, 3 week residencies respectively |
| 1997 | Umha Aois, Celebrating The Bronze Age – Dublin Symposium |
| 1995 | The Cross Roads Symposium Roscommon, Ireland, 1 month residency |
| % for Art Selected Public Art Commissions | |
| 2011-2012 | Drawing The Water Milltown, Co. Kerry |
| 2006 | 1% for Art Commission for Scoile Mide, Bayside, Co. Dublin, shortlisted |
| 2004 | 1% for Art Commission for Castlerea, shortlisted |
| 1% for Art Commission for Castlebar, shortlisted | |
| 2002 | 1% for Art Commission for Bagnelstown Regeneration, shortlisted |
| 2001-2002 | The Plain of Silver Wood Millennium Park, Freshford, Co. Kilkenny |
| 1999-2000 | Regeneration Knoxspark, Co.Sligo in collaboration with Martina Coyle & Hilary Gilligan |
| 1998-1999 | The Orchard part of “Convergence”, Waterford Public Art |
| 1996 | 100 Years Of Austrian Cinema Kartnerstrasse, public art commission invited by The Vienna Chamber of Commerce |
| Selected Awards | |
| 2015 | The Arts Council of Ireland AIC Award, Phase 2 managed by CREATE |
| Arts Bursary Award, Beating The Bounds, Kilkenny County Council 2015 | |
| Kilkenny County Council, Arts Act Grant | |
| 2014 | Limerick City of Culture 2014 – The Kieran Meagher Legacy Award, (shortlisted) |
| ‘Landscape and Memory’, LEADER Rural Development Programme | |
| 2013 | The Arts Council of Ireland Artist in the Community Scheme R & D Award with mentoring from Dr. Iain Biggs |
| 2002 | Kilkenny County Council, Arts Act Grant |
| 2000 | Department of Foreign Affairs, Cultural Relations Committee Exhibitions Award, New York |
| 1999 | The Arts Council of Ireland - Arts Access Award in collaboration with St. Joseph’s School for Visually Impaired |
| The Arts Council of Ireland - Artists In Schools Award with St. Patrick’s Girls National School, Ringsend, Dublin | |
| The Arts Council of Ireland - Studio Assistance Grant | |
| Selected Exhibitions | |
| 2016 November | Drawing The Water HDV screening, University of Dundee, Scotland |
| Jan. – Apr. | Our Journey To Here, exhibition; VISUAL Centre for Contemporary Art, Carlow; collaborative project and exhibition developed and co-curated by Pauline O’Connell with County Carlow Women’s Network. |
| Farming and Country Life 1916-2016 Teagasc commemorative exhibition Athenry, Co. Galway (invited by Dr. Deirdre O 'Mahony). | |
| 2015 | The Milk Well and The Tea Well, exhibition; Leitrim Sculpture Centre Gallery (July 25th – Aug. 6th) touring to Roscommon Arts Centre (Aug 15th - Sept. 26th); a socially engaged installation, text, photography and audio project |
| OAK, exhibition; Dundrum Co. Tipperary, invited | |
| PRAXIS, exhibition; Limerick School of Art & Design MA-SPACE | |
| 2011 | Boyle Arts Festival, exhibition; Co. Roscommon, invited |
| 2008 | Fis 2008, exhibition; Liverpool, to co-inside with the Capital of Culture, invited |
| 2005 | Crawford 5, exhibition; Crawford Municipal Art Gallery, Cork, selected by Iwona Blazwick (Whitechapel) |
| 2003 | Voice, exhibition; Linenhall Arts Centre, Co. Mayo - 6 contemporary artists & at the Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray, Co. Wicklow |
| 2001 | Salon 2001, exhibition; Ecole Des Beaux Arts, Paris, invited by Sculptors Society of Ireland, September |
| 2000 | Samhain Swing, exhibition; APT Gallery, London, one night art event November, invited |
| Delicate Tissue, exhibition; M.Y. Art Prospects, Chelsea, New York, invited by Jennifer Kotter | |
| Selected Socially Engaged + Collaborative Projects | |
| Ongoing Research | The Weather Reports, a ‘psycho-meteorology’ project, collating and translating vernacular testimonies that distribute weather |
| The Community Field cultural project, Castlewarren, Co. Kilkenny |
|
| 2015-2017 | Beating The Bounds, project; ongoing socially engaged community boundary project. |
| 2016 | Above The Snowline, 2020 Capital of Culture second round bid, invited project by Three Sisters bid team (shortlisted) |
| 2014 | Landscape and Memory, project; a socially engaged community photographic project with Castlewarren Community Development Group |
| 2012 | Heave-Ho, Pub Pulling League project; event 9.12.12 12 + 28.8.16 held in The Community Field, Castlewarren, Co. Kilkenny |
| Heave-Ho, Invitation to Community upland region of N.E. Co. Kilkenny | |
| Drawing The Water Spout Lane, Milltown, Co. Kerry | |
| 2001 - 2002 | The Plain of Silver Wood Millennium Park, Freshford, Co. Kilkenny |
| 1999 - 2000 | Regeneration Knoxspark, Co.Sligo - in collaboration with artists Martina Coyle & Hilary Gilligan |
| Conference papers / presentations | |
| 2016 November | Being in Place: The Highs and Lows of Situated Practices, University of Dundee, Scotland 24th - 25 November, 2016 (selected for oral presentation) |
| September | The Ecology of Community OPEN FIELDS Exhibition and Conference, RIXC Art Science Festival, Riga, Latvia September 29 – October 1, 2016 http://rixc.org/en/festival/ (selected for oral presentation). |
| June | The Void of the Jug ‘alterRurality3’, Letterfrack Co. Galway, ‘Culture, Farming and Habitat – New (selected for oral presentation) |
| 2005 | “Defining space – exploring the private & public domain”, FSAS conference |
| 2003 | “The Citizen Artist, are you a professional jaywalker, crossing from public art to the studio and back again”, FSAS conference, Liberty Hall, Dublin 1. |
| Publications | |
| 2012 | Hypomnemata, A Memory Trace, |
| Cassagh Press ISBN 978–0–9547955–2–8 | |
| 2012 | Drawing The Water, compilation HDV and book, |
| public access - Kerry County Library. | |
| Living on the Spatial Edge of “I” and “WE” 2012 | |
| 2010 | Fire Station Artists’ Studios Workshops & Master Classes 1998 – 2008, Ten Years; a retrospective |
| ISBN 978-0-9538055-7-0 | |
| Recent published articles about my work | |
| 2014 | “Incorrigibly plural”? Rural Lifeworlds Between Concept and Experience” Iain Biggs in Canadian Journal for Irish Studies, Vol. 38, Nos. 1+2 (2014). Special issue, “Text and Beyond Text: New Visual, Material, and Spatial Perspectives in Irish Studies” © 2015 CJIS. |
| Writings | |
| Forthcoming | The Ecology of Community Acoustic Space Journal, No 17, OPEN FIELDS- proceedings from Open Fields Conference, Riga Latvia, selected conference presentation 29 Sept. - 1 Oct. 2016 http://rixc.org/en/festival |
| Myopic and hyperopic lifeworlds ‘The Possibilities of Place’ - an exhibition by ‘The 9 Stones Artists’ at Visual Centre for Contemporary Art, 02 July - 16 October, Carlow, Ireland (commissioned text) | |
| Rural lifeworlds; an artistic practice of scratching the surface, tilting mirrors and place-making in rural contexts 2015 (invited text). https://geographicalturn.wordpress.com O’Connell, P., (2013) ‘Agri – Culture, Ruminations on a Field’, In Lennon, M. & Taylor, S., (2013) (eds.) ENGAGE, published by Limerick Institute of Technology, Ireland (invited text). | |
| O’Connell, P., (2014) ‘Composite Curs’, in Erävaara, T. (2014) Contemporary Self Portraits (ed.) published by Turku University of Applied Sciences, Finland, (commissioned text). | |
| Erävaara, T. (ed.) (2014) Contemporary Self Portraits, Evaluation by Pauline O’Connell, published by Turku University of Applied Sciences, Finland, (commissioned report), `Composit Curs’ invited essay as part of final publication (pending publication). | |