Bennie Reilly’s artworks celebrate the oddities and allure of nature
What or who sparked your interest in art?
Growing up I always had an urge to draw and make things, I felt at my best when I was doing that, it was in my nature – but I didn’t know much about art until I went to college. I was 17 when I started my fine art degree at IADT Dún Laoghaire and it was there that I discovered contemporary art and began to visit galleries and take an interest in Irish and international artists … a whole new world of possibilities opened up to me then.
‘The Charm of Birds.’
How do you describe your work?
I make paintings and mixed media sculptural works which are informed by my interest in natural history, museums, and by my own interactions with nature. My paintings are based on an archive of personal photographs and documentation of museum collections. To date I have visited and photographed 25 natural history collections worldwide. My sculptures are formed from natural artefacts and curios that I collect while beach-combing and scouring flea markets and which I often combine with fabricated elements such as jesmonite, bronze and carved wood.
‘Emotional Support.’ Photograph by Davey Moore.
Where and how do you work?
At the moment I work from a studio at the end of my garden in Dublin. It’s a bit cramped but I feel extremely lucky to have a space to work. There is currently a critical shortage of artist studios in Dublin and many artists are losing their workspaces due to closures and redevelopment. I’m usually working on a few canvases at any one time and every shelf, ledge, counter top and drawer in the studio is filled with rocks, seashells and weird bric-a-brac. It’s half studio, half curiosity shop.
‘Another Beautiful Bike Lane.’
Tell us the starting point for your new exhibition Follow Your Dream …
The exhibition is the culmination of work I’ve made over the last two years or so and is based on my encounters with nature and the positive influence it can have on wellbeing. It’s a celebration of the oddities and the allure of the natural world and what can be discovered and experienced even at a local level.
I believe a trip to Formentera was integral to this …
Yes, Formentera is where I found the title for the show and subsequently the courage to follow my instincts and get on with the work! On a trip to the Spanish island last year I saw (crappy) graffiti scrawled over a smashed out window in a derelict workers hut overlooking a beautiful salt lake – ‘Follow your Dream’. I thought it was funny and took a picture to add to my collection of eye-roll affirmations (I also have a bin that says Believe in Yourself). Back in the studio, riddled with self doubt about the work I was making and the slightly different direction I was taking I started to use this photo as a form of encouragement. I also realised that if I applied this title to the show it could allow me to keep exploring a wider range of ideas. It gave me permission to follow my urges and shake off the self-inflicted, pre conceived notions of what my art work should be.
‘Self Portrait Inisheer.’
What advice would you give others contemplating a career in art?
Apply for every opportunity you can – open calls, awards et cetera. Get used to rejection but don’t be put off by it. Ask for feedback and carry on applying. Visit galleries and exhibitions regularly and familiarise yourself with art spaces and what’s happening in your local scene. Be prepared to work hard – most artists earn their living from other sources and have to make time for their studio practice around their day jobs. It takes a lot of work and dedication to sustain a career in art but if it’s what you love to do then it is absolutely worth it. Follow your dream!
Need to Know: Bennie’s exhibition “Follow Your Dream” is at the Municipal Gallery, dlr Lexicon, Haigh Terrace, Dun Laoghaire from February 28 to April 29. Follow Bennie on Instagram @benniereilly
