Altermodern
Altermodern is a series of paintings on wooden panels which explore the capacity of painting to remark on the historical narratives presented in Modernism and its relationship to the current state of art practice referred to as the Altermodern. These subjects bring forward concerns for what constitutes authenticity in art practice.
The altermodern is a term which Nicolas Bourriaud coined to describe the cultural landscape of contemporary art in the wake of postmodernism. The altermodern can be read as an artist working in a hypermodern world with supermodern ideas or themes.
Altermodern is a series of oil paintings on wooden panels that merge Cubist works from Irish Modernist painters Mainie Jellett, Evie Hone and the French artist Albert Gleizes. The individual handling of paint within each artist's work is analysed through a process of repainting which investigates the qualities and values they share. The influence they had upon each other cultivated an Irish Cubism which pioneered Irish Modernism. The resituating of these works is a critical analysis of the works selected alongside how my input and merging of them together pertain to the adaptability of an artwork to speak of and outside of itself.
These paintings have a physical presence which activates them as art objects. I have possession of these physical works. However, the work reuses conceptual and material processes found in Cubism. These implementations tamper with the role of influence in artistic production and voice concerns of ownership in art practice. I reiterate this awareness through the extending and reinterpretation of preceding narratives. In doing so questioning the authenticity found within the Altermodern. How much of anyone's work is their work?