Bio Bits, The Lab, December 09 – December 08 2006
December 09 – December 08 2006
The LAB is pleased to present the work of Alan Phelan. Over the past ten years Phelan’s practice has been concerned with a variety of approaches to biography which were brought together in the publication “Bio” in 2005. Much of this work has never been exhibited in Dublin. For this show a new configuration of selected works with be installed. The works will be attached to and located around a large scaffold tower in The LAB. This installation will contain sculpture, video, photography, works on paper from various projects from the last 11 years as well as incorporating new works. The installation will promblematise many of the specific narratives associated with the individual works as the works will have to function in a dynamic new context.
The “Bio” book will also be available from The Lab during the exhibition run. The publication includes texts by David Godbold, Jeanette Doyle, Cherry Smyth, Gemma Tipton, Mick Wilson, Sarah Pierce, Henriette Huldisch, Nataša Petrešin, Enda Leaney, Maria Fusco and Ciarán Bennett. These short essays respond to various projects as parallel rather than descriptive texts offering different insights into projects and artworks.
Alan Phelan was in born Dublin in 1968. Received a BA, Dublin City University, 1989 and MFA, Rochester Institute of Technology, New York, 1994. He has exhibited in widely in Ireland and also in the UK, USA, Germany, Denmark and Slovenia. Recent exhibitions include the “Fading Fast”, Millennium Court Arts Centre, Portadown, Northern Ireland (2006); “Mother’s Ruin”, Mother’s Tankstation, Dublin (2006); “Test Pieces and Blend-in Moments”, SKC Gallery, Belgrade (2006); “GB and the Western World”, Galway Arts Centre and Letterkenny Arts Centre (2005), “Strata”, Ireland/Wales (2005); “Small: The Object in Film, Video and Slide Installation”, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York (2004); Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast (2005). Recent commissions include a web project for DCMNR Broadband www.broadbandart.ie. Curated projects include “Felons”, RHA, Dublin, (2005) “No Respect”, (2004) and “Stand Fast Dick and Jane”, (2001). He has also written several catalogue essays including texts on Vanessa O’Reilly, Abigail O’Brien, Tom Molloy, Mike Fitzpatrick and the forthcoming ”Mother’s Annual” on Petri Ala-Manus and Ciaran Murphy. He has also written for Circa, Contexts, Source and Visual Artists Ireland publications including the SSI Newsletter, VAN and was editor/curator for issue 5 of Printed Project launched at the 51st Venice Biennale. Alan Phelan is represented by Mother’s Tankstation, Dublin.
The exhibition “Fading Fast” at Millennium Court Arts Centre, Portadown remains open until 18 November, 2006.
Funded also by The Arts Council/An Chomhaire Ealaíon.