Interview #4: Aisling Conroy
I’m delighted this month to be talking with artist, Aisling Conroy.
Aisling is a multidisciplinary artist working in painting, illustration, print and animation.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got into art ?
I’m a multidisciplinary artist working in painting, illustration, print and animation.
I was always drawing and making things as a child, and was encouraged at home by my parents, so it was a natural progression to go on to art college.
I started off studying animation in Dun Laoghaire School of Art and Design (IADT) back in 2004, I did that for 2 years and then I went to study Fine Art in National College of Art and Design (NCAD) and specialised in Printmaking but also started making animations there too. After graduating in 2009 I stayed in NCAD to do an MA in the same department which was more fluid again and there I was making large cardboard sculptures and sound installations. I started painting soon after I graduated in 2011. I had my first studio out of college on Talbot Street with Talbot Gallery & Studios and it seemed to be where I adopted painting. It felt natural, probably because most of the other artists there were painters too.
In my work, I explore the idea of intention, repetition and reincarnation. I am interested in psychology and vulnerability in the human condition, drawing on influences from sacred, mystical art. My paintings are abstract, but I work almost like I’m printing, in that I work in series and these are all painted simultaneously. It can also be very much like sculpture at times, as my practice now involves a lot of sawing of wood, sanding and scoring, gluing, pouring of paint and then removing it again. It’s very physical and in a way, expressionist, leaning into the process, with intuition, play and improvisation. I listen to a lot of music when I’m in that “flow”, usually house and dance.
I’ve had a few different jobs down through the years after school and during college (in between the jigs and the reels); bank teller, picture framing, bartending, gym and aerobics instructor! After I graduated from the MA, I was working in NCAD, in the library and archive on archival projects and managing the film and image library. Now I've gone full circle and I've been back working in the animation industry the past four years, as well as working in the studio on my own art practice.
How has this last year impacted your creativity/outlook? Have you gained any insights or created any new work?
The last year has been difficult and transformative, as it has for many people. I just moved back to my hometown Portlaoise a year ago after living in Dublin for 15 years, 11 of those years in Stoneybatter where I saw it develop into the gentrified village that it is now, so that in itself is a massive change, but has been a positive one.
Creatively it has been huge. I just finished my first short animated film BARDO as Writer and Director with and maps and plans, produced by Claire Lennon.The film was funded by Screen Ireland and RTÉ under their short film scheme Frameworks. We had an amazing crew of talented artists working on it, so it has been a really wild ride making it especially with everyone working remotely. I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to make the film and work with such incredible artists who also wanted to make the project come to life. We just premiered it at the Galway Film Fleadh and it won the award for Best Debut Short Film which was really nice after a long hard slog. The film will be doing the festival circuit this year, so that’s exciting.
I am also preparing for a solo exhibition with the Olivier Cornet Gallery in Dublin. The show will open in mid September and will be a collection of paintings and screen prints. I’ll be printing and editioning for a few weeks in Damn Fine Print, which I’m looking forward to. The paintings are the largest I have ever worked on, so I’m completely terrified as well as enthralled in the process, but mostly terrified. It’s quite physical work but a really nice antidote after spending the past 12 months sitting in front of a computer screen.
What awakens life in you and where do you draw inspiration from?
Nature. Plants and animals always push the right buttons for me. People who have great character and positivity and can make me laugh really inspire me too.
What does art teach you about yourself? and the world?
Art makes me love life and gives me purpose. It’s my own language and way of communicating to the world and the people around me. The goal for me has always been creative living and being open to new experiences and people. I can become deeply unhappy or feel stagnant if I ever veer away from that. I need to keep creating in some form, even within simple routines; to learn and grow.
Do you have any daily rituals or routines to get your creativity flowing?
Write as much as I can, and meditate if I have the time (I have fallen off the wagon a bit in that respect). Exercise. Looking after my plants. Listen to music or a podcast.
How do you take care of yourself when you are feeling a bit blah, blocked or uninspired?
Boringly enough, I clean the house. Be outdoors. Play the guitar (poorly) and sing. Cook. Light the fire. Be around funny and positive friends. Stay away from the news!
What do you enjoy most about food? Do you have any favourite ingredients or recipes?
My favourite ingredients are cardamom and caraway seed. I would put either of these on anything.
Homegrown spuds, and eating with fresh chives, parsley, sea salt, white pepper and a big blob of coconut oil...I’m drooling right now. I like lots of the happy pear recipes too.
Can you share with us any books, podcasts or music that are currently inspiring you?
Currently listening to an audiobook Michael Pollan’s This is Your Mind on Plants.
I’ve just finished reading This is It by Conor Creighton on meditation. He bestows a really lovely writing style, which makes it all very relatable. It was a gorgeous gift from another artist friend Bláthnaid NíMhurchú.
I recently read Sinead O’Connor’s bio- she is a very inspiring person and artist.
New album Yellow by Emma-Jean Thackray; great album and artist
And really digging a band called Black Midi .
Gorgon City new album Olympia … closest thing to getting onto a dance-floor at this stage.
Lots and lots of house music (list is too long), and some random Indian and meditation playlists.
Do you have any future creative project plans/dreams?
Hope to see BARDO in more film festivals this year. After the exhibition in September I’m doing an artist residency in Spain for one month, in the mountains of Malaga. I’ll be using my time there to make a short experimental film using hand painted animations. Hoping to take a bit of time to relax too after a heavy year.
Keep an eye out here for Aisling’s upcoming exhibition at Olivier Cornet Gallery in September. Visit and maps and plans to see more on BARDO and you can view the trailer here: https://vimeo.com/579451333. And you can follow Aisling on Instagram here.
July 2021