Eimear Harkin, b.1997 is a painter originally from Donegal, currently based in Northern Ireland. Harkin was awarded a BA (Hons) degree in Fine Art, Ulster University, Belfast (2023) having previously studied fine art diploma, Northwest Regional college Derry, (2019.) Harkin has exhibited her work throughout Donegal and Northern Ireland, such as The Green Door gallery, Buttermilk, Art space Pobail Le Cheile, Art Cetera, Engine Room and Bangor young artists.
Statement
I am an artist that primarily uses oil paint, it is my preferred medium because, I adore the colours I can make with them and the textured effect I can create. My approach is very much process driven and focused on the paint and the materiality of painting. My painting has a formal quality to them. Colours and features within decrepit buildings, serve a rudimental role in my creating process. When painting their personalities and backgrounds fascinate me as well as the roughness and materiality of their surfaces. Observing the worn-out paint penetrating the cracks in the paint above and the texture it produces has influenced my work.
Within my current body of work, I investigate how various colours and their relationships relate to a building's age. I peel back layers upon layers of paint to create a rough text which I then contrast with a smooth surface. A tug-of-war between anticipation and possibility emerge They highlight aspects of the city scape which are usually overlooked in the sense of derelict abandoned buildings. I reclaim it and transform it. The works are peeling back the old and overlaying it with the new. My artwork has an introspective feel to it.
I have experimented with cut outs of boards in odd shapes, almost like a jigsaw puzzle. This has been successful. The oddness of the shapes mirrors the oddness of the lines and marks, which I paint within them. With my jigsaw pieces, I want to add an element of surprise in the way the edges are cut. Each painting and jigsaw board are unique because the colours are always different and the marks within them are unique.
Most of my recent work is on the smaller, as I believe that the juxtaposition of the large city's influence on the viewer has a greater impact.I studied the works of authors, photographers and painters including Albert Oehlen, Jonathan Lasker, Richard Diebenkorn, Amy Sillman and Matthew Garbutt. Jonathan Lasker and Richard Diebenkorn converted the world we see into combinations of colours, lines, and quasi-geometric shapes rather than reproducing real reality with hyper-realistic paintings. He used oil paint and charcoal, allowing the various layers to be seen in the finished piece. I wanted to emulate not only aspects of their work. But the impact they have left behind.Going forward I want to continue creating my jigsaw pieces and board paintings. My work will continue to be influenced by the architecture of old city buildings and everything that encompasses them. Taking a lot of primary photographs prior to creating a work and continue to try to connect the past with the present through unconscious recollection.