Source Programme of Events Autumn Winter 2019 The Source Arts Centre Programme Autumn Winter 201 | Page 9

AUTUMN | WINTER 2019
his photomontages during this
period, and achieved notable
success with series such as
‘Irelantis’ (1994-1997) and in
2007 won the design
competition for the Omagh
Bomb Memorial in Northern
Ireland. His work is identifiable
by what Fintan O’Toole noted
as its ‘funny, startling and
disturbing images… working
ancient monuments like the
pyramids of Giza or the
Colosseum into John Hinde
postcards of a bucolic Ireland,
often in an explicitly
apocalyptic context.’
Hillen moved back to Ireland
in the mid-1990’s from where
he has worked since. In 2017
the Golden Thread Gallery in
Belfast hosted '100 Works' the
first major Seán Hillen
retrospective, a 35-year survey
show.
www.lauramcmorrow.com
www.joelee.ie
www.seanhillen.com
Photomontage - A Short History
The development of photography in the latter part of the
19th century and the allied increased use of printed
images in newspapers and popular magazines in the earlier
part of the 20th century contributed to its emergence of
photomontage and its use by artists.
Always somewhat politically charged as an artform, it was
first used as a technique by the dadaists in 1915 in
their protests against the First World War. It was later
adopted by the Surrealists who exploited the possibilities
photomontage offered by using free association to bring
together widely disparate images, to reflect the workings of
the unconscious mind.
In 1923 the Russian constructivist Aleksander Rodchenko
began experimenting with photomontage as a way of
creating socially engaged imagery concerned with the
placement and movement of objects in space. Other key
exponents of the medium are Hannah Hoch who looked at
political, gender and identity issues within her work; John
Heartfield, the German artist who
reconstructed images from the media to
protest against Germany’s Fascist
regime; British artist Richard Hamilton
working in a pop-art montage style;
Peter Kennard; whose photomontages
explored issues such as economic
inequality, police brutality and the
nuclear arms race between the 1970s
and the 1990s and Linder Sterling
whose striking photomontages were
used by bands such as the Buzzcocks.
Cut/Paste events:
Cut/Paste also features a number of additional
events taking place during the exhibition run
Workshop by Laura McMorrow: 2pm to 4pm
Saturday14th September. Ages 10+
Screening of John Heartfield Documentary
and Gallery Talk with Joe Lee: 2pm to 3.30pm.
Friday 20th September
Sean Hillen will give an illustrated
talk on the history and evolution of
his work over 35 years. 2pm to
3.30pm. Thursday 26th September
Come and meet the Artists when
Cut/Paste opens at 7.30pm on Friday
13th September. The show runs until
Saturday 26th of October.
‘As If There Were Trees’
– Sean Hillen 2013
The opening and gallery are free to all.
GALLERY TIMES: TUESDAY TO FRIDAY 10AM TO 5PM SATURDAY 2PM TO 5PM
www.thesourceartscentre.ie
Box Office: 0504 90204
9