Metaphors - Solo exhibition by artist Jordi Fornies - Dame Street Gallery - Dublin 2 - September 3rd to September 14 - 2008
This exhibition, organised and curated by Olivier Cornet (Olliart), will feature new works by Dublin-based Catalan artist Jordi Fornies.
It will run from September 3rd to September 14 in the Dame Street Gallery, 36 Dame Street, Dublin 2.
Opening hours: Monday to Sunday 11am - 8pm
This will be Jordi’s second solo exhibition in Ireland.
Artist Statement: When I looked up the meaning of “abstract artist”, I found many different interpretations of this term, but all of them were rooted in the same basic concept, that an abstract artist is one who uses colour and form in a non-representational way. In the process of creating my paintings, I am using a non-representational method to express ideas, images, thoughts, and experiences . . . for this reason I presume I am working under the umbrella of abstract art.
In language, metaphor serves a similar function. Aristotle considered “metaphor” as a mechanism to transfer the meaning of one word into a different meaning to which it connects only because a comparison resides in our mind. This is one of the most studied and analysed mechanisms in literature and it is considered one of the most important manifestations of the literary imagination. Metaphor is used extensively in literature, particularly in poetry ‑ words, objects, thoughts and emotions from one context are used in a different context, and their meaning is changed.
Abstract painters normally describe their works as being laden with meaning. This meaning, however, is never conventional, nor could it be expressed verbally. Playing with this magical resource allows me to feel an absolute freedom and to convey emotional meaning with every single movement of my palette knife.
I invite you to look at these visual metaphors, to touch them and to use your imagination in a direct encounter with the work. It’s my dream that you can discover exactly how these abstract shapes, areas of colour and textures express the kinds of meaning I claim were motivating my aesthetic decisions.
Do you want to play? Jordi Fornies (July 2008)
“These are paintings as physical and mental landscapes, which emphasizes that our emotionally laden memories cannot be divorced from sensory details. This extraordinary manifestation in Jordi’s work comes about through his commitment to personal, aesthetic, historical and technical integrity, with the results being works which speak in a voice all his own, through the vocabulary of a visual language unlike any that has come before. ” Stephen Bracco , Arts Writer, New York (June 2008)
“Full of beautiful intricacies, Forniés’ works layer opulent paint and mixed media. What started out as virginal canvases, in the hands of this chemist-turned-artist, become meticulous creations of beauty. Fundamental shapes—rectangles and circles—take on a contemporary edge in their abstract constructions. Although they are merely lines across the canvas, paired with the romantic color scheme, they are rich in emotional significance. Forniés’ paintings are the catalysts for memories, dreams, and hopes. ” Stephanie Nikolopoulos, Arts writer, New York (July 2008).
A catalogue (with a preface by Irish Times journalist Cathy Dillon) will be available two weeks prior to the exhibition.
Click here to view some of Jordi’s new work and find out more about the artist
Images can be downloaded for online-publishing or printing in art listings. You can also contact the artist’s agent at ocornet@olliart.com (0872887261)