Leanne McDonagh (b. 1990)Pavee Presence

"During my time at college I became enthusiastic about abstraction. Through further experimentation with paint, print and photography I soon discovered various ways of creating my desired visuals, images that fell between abstraction and representation, ones that revealed as much as they concealed, while also capturing the fleeting transience of my memories. As a member of one of the most socially excluded groups in Irish society my memories are sometimes spoiled by extensive experiences of being identified as a negative stereotype. However not all my memories are blemished and I retain others that are untouched by negativity. Hence I have chosen to document and record my experiences of past and present so that I can encapsulate the positive and authentic norms that remain constant throughout the years. Documenting for both myself and for the outsider an artistic auto-ethnographic view of the community before it is lost forever. Pavee Presence was captured by a Traveller’s stall at a fair. There is beauty in all people and all things but the real beauty in life is being able to see that beauty in others."

Leanne McDonagh on Pavee Presence as part of the New Light exhibition

Learning Resources