Alison Lowry: (A)Dressing Our Hidden Truths

Thoughtful and stunning exhibition at the National Museum of Ireland: Decorative Arts and History by contemporary artist in glass Alison Lowry.

Lowry had responded to various Irish scandals from the Tuam Mother and Baby Home, Magdalene laundries and domestic abuse. The works were poignant and beautiful. So often art responding to issues like these becomes very conceptual and ungainly but these made you focus on the story and the effect on individuals. Any piece would have worked as an interesting piece of art even without the story.

I think my favourite was this work consisting  of 10,000 figures cut out from old £5 notes with the image of a founder of the Magdalene laundries, representing the number of women who went through them, pouring out of church collection bags. 

December 2023


 

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