Lost in Thought by PIGSY
Ranelagh-based artist PIGSY has been a DesignYard favourite for years and as one of our featured artists we are proud to see his latest artworks presented in his recent exhibition "Lost in Thought" which opened on the 21st of April 2023 in Ranelagh Arts.
Running until May 5th, the exhibition brings together recent works by PIGSY and is themed around a small space with a big impression - PIGSY describes it as "Big Ideas in a Small Space".
The series of artwork invites the viewer into the manic, chaotic workings of Dublin based artist PIGSY, vacillating between influences such as Jean-Michel Basquiat’s street poetry, Cy Twombly's high-art graffiti and the naivety of Purvis Young's work. PIGSY's playfully layered, deeply considered, artistic storytelling, expressionist style has garnered acclaim over the past decade, and it is fully explored in this exhibition. His recent work unapologetically blurs the lines between outsider, street art, punk poetry and expressionist art.
With an exhibition layout that is contrary to most conventional art gallery layouts, PIGSY says that his "intent for this show is to prove to myself that the creation of the work is the most important thing. In making the art comes peace, and how the work is shown is secondary". It is for this reason that the art in this show is displayed in an unstructured and space encompassing layout.
Additionally as part of "Lost in Thought", PIGSY invites the viewer to interact with, and fully investigate his energetic, spontaneous, and fast-paced creative process through augmented reality. Embedded within each artwork are subliminal messages and extracted 3D layers of art that viewers can access through the use of the Artivive app on their mobile device. "This is my first time using this exciting new technology" explains PIGSY and "the technology facilitates me in creating new layered dimensions of art by linking my studio painted artworks with additional 3D augmentations. The additional dimensions add to the viewer experience and give new creative possibilities to expand my artistic storytelling that can be unlocked by any smartphone or tablet".
Opening night was an energetic event with DJ Mo playing beats that responded to the art and the crowd. The space is small so the music was pumped out on to the street with the crowd spilling out from the gallery to the road which led to a buzzy atmosphere on the streets of Ranelagh. Engagement with this innovative exhibition was high with attendees chatting to each other about the different layers of PIGSY work that they experienced through the Artivive app, along with the music and augmented reality leading one viewer to remark that "it was the coolest thing to happen in Ranelagh"!
PIGSY's "Lost in Thought" runs from Friday 21st of April to 5th of May 2023 in Ranelagh Arts Centre on Ranelagh Main Street so you stil have time to visit and see the PIGSY art work and experience it, as did a well known Irish art collector, who upon seeing the work said "I have no doubt that, right now, PIGSY is Ireland's best colourist". Here are the details of the exhibition, so you can go experience the vivid colour for yourself:
"Lost in Thought" by PIGSY at Ranelagh Arts Centre
Location: Ranelagh Arts Centre, No. 6 Main Street Ranelagh (opposite the Luas Station)
Dates: 21st April 2023 to the 5th of May 2023
Opening Hours: Mon - Fri 4pm to 8pm, Sat 12pm to 6pm, Sun 2pm to 6pm
PIGSY Film - click here