Ginna Dowling

Printmaking Installation Overview
This installation chronicles my 2015 artist-in-residency in Ireland. Inspired by ancient the megalithic art, ideology, and Gaelic heritage, which is enmeshed in contemporary global culture, the carved and printed glyphs mimic megalithic carvings and translate into words and phrases, telling a literary story of my journey. It was originally exhibited with 65+ glyphs printed on 45 pages, bound into fifteen 7.5 foot high panels, and spanned 75 feet. Click on the individual images to see the installation and page translations.

Installation Detail
This installation chronicles my 2015 artist-in-residency in Ireland. Inspired by ancient the megalithic art, ideology, and Gaelic heritage, which is enmeshed in contemporary global culture, the carved and printed glyphs mimic megalithic carvings and translate into words and phrases, telling a literary story of my journey. It was originally exhibited with 65+ glyphs printed on 45 pages, bound into fifteen 7.5 foot high panels, and spanned 75 feet. Click on the individual images to see the installation and page translations.

Panels # 1-5 of fifteen in the originally exhibited installation.

This installation chronicles my 2015 artist-in-residency in Ireland. Inspired by ancient the megalithic art, ideology, and Gaelic heritage, which is enmeshed in contemporary global culture, the carved and printed glyphs mimic megalithic carvings and translate into words and phrases, telling a literary story of my journey. It was originally exhibited with 65+ glyphs printed on 45 pages, bound into fifteen 7.5 foot high panels, and spanned 75 feet. Click on the individual images to see the installation and page translations.

Panels # 7-10 of fifteen panels in the originally exhibited installation.
This installation chronicles my 2015 artist-in-residency in Ireland. Inspired by ancient the megalithic art, ideology, and Gaelic heritage, which is enmeshed in contemporary global culture, the carved and printed glyphs mimic megalithic carvings and translate into words and phrases, telling a literary story of my journey. It was originally exhibited with 65+ glyphs printed on 45 pages, bound into fifteen 7.5 foot high panels, and spanned 75 feet. Click on the individual images to see the installation and page translations.

Panels # 11-15 of fifteen panels in the originally exhibited installation.
This installation chronicles my 2015 artist-in-residency in Ireland. Inspired by ancient the megalithic art, ideology, and Gaelic heritage, which is enmeshed in contemporary global culture, the carved and printed glyphs mimic megalithic carvings and translate into words and phrases, telling a literary story of my journey. It was originally exhibited with 65+ glyphs printed on 45 pages, bound into fifteen 7.5 foot high panels, and spanned 75 feet. Click on the individual images to see the installation and page translations.

IAO Exhibition in Oklahoma City
Opening night, outside looking in
Printmaking by Ginna Dowling,
Ceramics by Whitney Forsyth
Photo by Thomas Nesthus

Printmaking Installation Detail
IAO Oklahoma City
Printmaking by Ginna Dowling
Ceramics in Exhibition by Whitney Forsyth

This installation chronicles my 2015 artist-in-residency in Ireland. Inspired by ancient the megalithic art, ideology, and Gaelic heritage, which is enmeshed in contemporary global culture, the carved and printed glyphs mimic megalithic carvings and translate into words and phrases, telling a literary story of my journey. It was originally exhibited with 65+ glyphs printed on 45 pages, bound into fifteen 7.5 foot high panels, and spanned 75 feet. Click on the individual images to see the installation and page translations.

Printmaking & Storytelling Installation
This installation chronicles my 2015 artist-in-residency in Ireland. Inspired by ancient the megalithic art, ideology, and Gaelic heritage, which is enmeshed in contemporary global culture, the carved and printed glyphs mimic megalithic carvings and translate into words and phrases, telling a literary story of my journey. It was originally exhibited with 65+ glyphs printed on 45 pages, bound into fifteen 7.5 foot high panels, and spanned 75 feet. Click on the individual images to see the installation and page translations.

45 pages 23"x28" 15 panels 90"x950" installed 65+ carved linocut glyphs on Yupo, Waxed Irish linen bookbinding thread, grommets

Linocut, Translucent YUPO, Waxed Irish Linen Thread, Grommets, 65+ carved glyphs. Originally exhibited with 45 pages, 15 panels spanning
7.5' x 75'

Printmaking Installation detail
Printmaking by Ginna Dowling
Ceramics in Exhibit by Whitney Forsyth

This installation chronicles my 2015 artist-in-residency in Ireland. Inspired by ancient the megalithic art, ideology, and Gaelic heritage, which is enmeshed in contemporary global culture, the carved and printed glyphs mimic megalithic carvings and translate into words and phrases, telling a literary story of my journey. It was originally exhibited with 65+ glyphs printed on 45 pages, bound into fifteen 7.5 foot high panels, and spanned 75 feet. Click on the individual images to see the installation and page translations.

Page 1 of 45 of originally exhibited installation:
The travelers, and printmaking friends,
are filled with hope. They journey by
day and night over the long big water.

Page 2 of 45 of originally exhibited installation:
They are welcomed into the green city
of rain, potatoes, and kindness.

Page 3 of 45 of originally exhibited installation:
They walk through the city streets
well into night. Feeling a sense of
community, they join others at the
pub for beer, fish and chips.

Page 4 of 45 of originally exhibited installation:
Their next stop is a place of rocks,
history, and heritage.

Page 5 of 45 of originally exhibited installation:
A place of passage, representing the
maiden, mother, and crone, and the
feminine force that brings forth life.

Page 6 of 45 of originally exhibited installation:
This is Newgrange, an ancient spiritual
and ceremonial passage temple of life,
death, and birth – or rebirth. Over 5000
years old, it represents time as circular
rather than linear.

Page 7 of 45 of originally exhibited installation:
The printmaking travelers are given
a bold sense of ancient femininity
and inspiration.

Page 8 of 45 of originally exhibited installation:
The next day, the hope-filled travelers
journey through the rain and fog, over
wet streets.

Page 9 of 45 of originally exhibited installation:
They journey on narrow roads, passing
lush green hills and mountains, on their
way to the land by the water.

Page 10 of 45 of originally exhibited installation:
Evening settles. Dense fog rolls in
and they can see almost nothing else.

Page 11 of 45 of originally exhibited installation:
The sun goes down and night begins.
They follow foggy, narrow, rock walled
roads until they arrive at the ocean.

Page 12 of 45 of originally exhibited installation:
By nightfall they reach their remote cottage.

Page 13 of 45 of originally exhibited installation:
The next morning, they discover the cottages by the ocean are surrounded by hills and mountains filled with rocks and rock walls, flowers and plants.

Page 14 of 45 of originally exhibited installation:
And Sheep.

Page 15 of 45 of originally exhibited installation:
They are in the lush green lands of hope,
with flowers, plants, farmland and ruins.

Page 16 of 45 of originally exhibited installation:
It is the land of rain.

Page 17 of 45 of originally exhibited installation:
They are in the Ballinskelligs, the green
land of the monks, rock mountains in the
ocean, the Wild Atlantic Way, and ruins.

Page 18 of 45 of originally exhibited installation:
The friends travel on the roads past
lush greenery in search of Cill Railaig
and the printmaking studio.

Page 19 of 45 of originally exhibited installation:
The bold women friends are inspired.
They are ready to print and create art.

Page 20 of 45 of originally exhibited installation:
They create and print for many days at
Cill Rialaig Art Center.

Page 21 of 45 of originally exhibited installation:
They create with potatoes, Irish
rain and grains.

Page 22 of 45 of originally exhibited installation:
At nights the bold feminine friends
gather with men and women at the pub
and toast to good health with Irish beer.

Page 23 of 45 of originally exhibited installation:
One day, the travelers journey with a boat captain through the big water, to the island mountains of rock, history, heritage and the sacred graves of the monks.

Page 24 of 45 of originally exhibited installation:
They travel through choppy water
in the rain and fog, where the dolphins,
whales and seabirds play.

Page 25 of 45 of originally exhibited installation:
The bold women hike and climb up
many steep and rugged rock stairs in
the rain and fog.

Page 26 of 45 of originally exhibited installation:
Sceilig Mhichíl, Skellig Michael, is an
abandoned monastery with the homes
and graves from the monks long ago.

Page 27 of 45 of originally exhibited installation:
It is also the home of many birds.

Page 28 of 45 of originally exhibited installation:
The boat captain prepares fresh fish
during their journey back to their
cottage by the sea.

Page 29 of 45 of originally exhibited installation:
On the night of the summer solstice and longest day of the year, the friends gather at the pub. They make new life-long friends, tell stories, and learn more about their Irish heritage while toasting to good health.

Page 30 of 45 of originally exhibited installation:
Late into the night, more friends gathered at the pub to enjoy fish and chips and toast to good health with pints of Irish beer.

Page 31 of 45 of originally exhibited installation:
The next morning the sun shone brightly as they hiked along the pebble filled beach.

Page 32 of 45 of originally exhibited installation:
To a place where strong currents left
many rocks and history; a place with
ruins and more graves of monks.

Page 33 of 45 of originally exhibited installation:
It is a sacred place of worship and passage.

Page 34 of 45 of originally exhibited installation:
The Abbey has centuries of graves,
from ancient to new.

Page 35 of 45 of originally exhibited installation:
Next, the friends gathered with their storytelling friends and Irish kindred spirits, and made new stories of their own. They hike to another site of the monks.

Page 36 of 45 of originally exhibited installation:
The dear women friends carried another
to the sacred passage site.

Page 37 of 45 of originally exhibited installation:
It is a pilgrimage site, known for finding inspiration and good health – a place of healing the monks called St Michael’s Well.

Page 38 of 45 of originally exhibited installation:
They released the remains of the precious
friend to fly to her place of inspiration.

Page 39 of 45 of originally exhibited installation:
The printmakers travel back to the
printshop at Cill Rialaig, to gather
their art made with potatoes, Irish
rain and grain.

Page 40 of 45 of originally exhibited installation:
That night, they gathered at the pub with their dear friends and the village men, to toast and say thank you, which translates from Gaelic to “may you have goodness.”

Page 41 of 45 of originally exhibited installation:
Then they say thank you, “may you have goodness,” to Cill Rialaig Art Center, their cottage at the artist village, and the good lands of the Ballinskelligs.

Page 42 of 45 of originally exhibited installation:
In a ceremony with potatoes.

Page 43 of 45 of originally exhibited installation:
The next morning they travel through wet rainy roads, dense fog, and past villages, sheep, flowers, and lush green patchwork landscapes.

Page 44 of 45 of originally exhibited installation:
The printmaking friends arrive back in the big city. As evening falls, the friends, who are filled with Irish inspiration, say goodnight and 'goodbye for now.' They head back on a long journey, across the big water to their own homes. Their travels have come full circle.

Page 45 of 45 of originally exhibited installation:
And she is imprinted with her heritage…
###
The End
And New Beginnings

Installed at MainSite Contemporary Art in Norman, OK 2017