The Cork Arts Society's Student of the Year Award is now 30 years old, and has in its time, selected graduates from the Crawford College of Art who have gone on to become some of the country's best known artists.
Mary Gregoriy is the recipient this year, showing a collection of small to medium-sized sculptures and life drawings. The latter are an important part of the exhibition as they give an insight into the artist's interest in the sheer physical presence of the human figure. In these, using for the most part pen and ink, Gregoriy shows herself to be a competent draughtswoman, particularly in the lovely hanging of three female nudes positioned at the rear of the gallery.
The sculptures are the main component though, with aluminium, ceramic and the favoured material bronze, all adding a nice range of colour and texture. The observation of human form is present in these also, but there is a further dimension in that the figure becomes a hybrid of insects, crustaceans, birds, skeletons, etc. Surrealistic with a hint of sci-fi fantasy, the union between the components is so convincing that you almost imagine theses creature are observed in the actual.
Baba Yaga for instance begins from the top with a vicious sting that leads down to a scorpion-like tail which brilliantly curves into a human torso whose grasping arms spill outward in an empty embrace.
Runs until August 15th
