Today, Stephen Dunne’s new solo show, Uchronia. Not as It Was, But as It Might Have Been, will open in the Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA). As the title of the exhibition implies, Dunne’s work will encompass the chaotic, the unconscious, and the destruction of limitations. Above all, the exhibition is set to be centred in immediacy and playfulness.
Dunne, a masters graduate in fine art painting at the Royal College of Art in London, and of the National College of Art and Design (NCAD), has produced a large volume of work over the last 20 years. His work has been exhibited throughout Ireland and across Europe. Notably, his work has been shown as part of GSK Contemporary at the Royal Academy in London with Mark Titchner, within the Venice Biennale, and frequently at RISE gallery in Berlin. During this long, successful, and wide-reaching career, Dunne has explored an array of mediums, including painting, drawing, and moving image.
In his show, the artist will display a series of playful, deliberately spontaneous works. Dunne’s recent pieces begin with inkblots that are later manipulated into various forms. This process allows the artist’s unconscious to act as a primary source of influence within his work, and creates an authentic spontaneity within the collection. In 2007, RISE stated that Dunne’s style is defined by “zombified art technique and automatic drawing.” The gallery’s website states that the inkblot is a staple technique in Dunne’s ouvre, “his images emerge from the inkblot, the rupture and the fracture”. Intuition is at the core of Dunne’s 20-year-long career, and Uchronia. Not as It Was, But as It Might Have Been, with its focus on random, chaotic marks and the power of the inkblot, is no exception.
Uchronia. Not as It Was, But as It Might Have Been opens today and admission is free. If you fancy a free, fun date head on down to the RHA. Better still, if you’d like to block out the Hallmark Holiday altogether and get lost in a visual, atemporal world of contemporary painting, Dunne has got you covered. The show runs until the 10th of March, and on the 6th of March, the artist will provide a walk-through of the pieces displayed, outlining his creative process and his relentless pursuit of intuitive creation. Places are free and available to book on the RHA website.
