'FEATHER YOUR BED' BY DEIRDRE BURKE
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
Deirdre Burke (b. 1969) was born in Dublin, Ireland She trained at DIT under Alice Hanratty and Michael Kane and graduated in 1990 with an honours degree in Fine art (Printmaking). She exhibited in 1990 and 1991 at Group show at the City Centre Gallery, Dublin, In 1996 she had a solo show at The Bakery in Wicklow, followed in 1997 by a solo show at St. James Art Fair in Kentucky, USA.
In 2000 Burke was winner of RTE’s The Open House art prize. 2007 she held a Solo show at The Gate Gallery in Co Cork, 2012 exhibited at the Eigse fringe festival,
2017 group show Solas Art Gallery
2017 NOA shortlisted
2017 published / into the void
2017 published A5 zine
My work for this project is a direct response to the benign attitude we have towards our wildlife and habitats. The work takes a critical view of political issues surrounding the protection(lack of ) our heritage.
I think of my work as an inventory, of drawings, paintings, prints, clay and found and acquired objects , all of which through a consistent methodology come together to present a visual consistent dialogue.
Although I use a variety of mediums and processes , through limited pallet and repetitive marks , what is constructed is a cohesive and readable story , one which will invite the viewer to hopefully react to and examine the subject.
The main body of work is created around bird feathers, which are so symbolic to us, they have taken on many meanings ,visual and spiritual. Although they have become a symbol of purity, energy and innocence, I have presented them under a different guise, picking out parts that we don’t normally see , or prefer not to see .what is presented is not the shiny veneer that we tend to look for.
This work is not polite, but we don’t have time to be polite. Its intention is to make you uncomfortable. Juxtaposing material, using matt black and distorting forms , the work sets out to trick the viewer and question what they
are viewing and the use of negative space , creating another dimension to familiar images and subjects.