The Sculptural Imagination of Seanie Barron

Co curated with Michele Horrigan

There is something joyful, magical and relatable about Seanie Barron’s work; both in the way he creates and in the resulting objects.
His work might seem to easily fall under the label ‘folk art’, yet on further inspection it becomes apparent that his work is instead borne out of an understanding of nature and often-humorous interpretations of the environment around him. He roams around his native Askeaton, looking for the right branch left in a field or underneath a bush, to then shape into a walking stick. In this new collection of work debuting at STAC, these take surreal forms referencing wasps, salmon, snakes, ice skaters and cocktail parties.

Since his first exhibition at Askeaton Civic Trust in 2014, Seanie Barron’s work has been presented at the Douglas Hyde Gallery, Dublin; Emily Carr University, Vancouver, and Flat Time House, London, amongst others. In conjunction with his exhibition at STAC, a new publication co-published with ACA PUBLIC is launched, featuring an in-depth essay by Leeds-based curator and writer Jon Wood.

The exhibition will also include Seanie Barron: Only in Askeaton a short documentary directed byMichael Holly, produced by Michele Horrigan and commissioned for the Only in Askeaton series by Askeaton Contemporary Arts. The film was awarded the Audience Award for a Short Film at the Cork International Film Festival 2021.

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