The Age of Reason/Unreason | Na Cailleacha at Garter Lane Arts Centre

This exhibition is the fourth public expression of Na Cailleacha’s first two years in collective practice. The group of 8 older women, 6 visual artists, I musician and I curator, all, bar one, over 70, came together to explore issues around creativity, visibility, isolation, health and collective practice from an older feminist perspective. Na Cailleacha are committed to raising awareness and promoting public discussion about these issues, in keeping with Gloria Steinem’s assertion that ‘Women may be the one group that grows more radical with age’. The title of the exhibition alludes to the play of rational and irrational instincts in the creative process, especially challenging in relation to ageing and loss of capacity, and to ideas about senility and second childhood.

Members of Na Cailleacha are;

Helen Comerford

Barbara Freeman

Patricia Hurl

Catherine Marshall

Carole Nelson,
Rachel Parry

Therry Rudin

Gerda Teljeur.

The exhibition is curated by Na Cailleacha’s curator, Catherine Marshall.

While most of the works on show in Garter Lane are new, the focus will be on a new iteration of Child’s Play, a project based around life-sized rag dolls begun during a residency at the Ballinglen Art Foundation in 2021, now completed and photographed in designated locations. Garter Lane also provides the opportunity for us to introduce a newcomer to our group. Rachel Parry has recently joined Na Cailleacha and is represented here by Veil, a remarkable piece of sculpture composed of woven spider’s webs and cotton thread.

The exhibition also features a new video work by Therry Rudin and Patricia Hurl, ‘the moon is set in motion and the golden plated stars appear’, 2022, work by Barbara Freeman, Helen Comerford, Gerda Teljeur and the first public iteration of Carole Nelson’s Weyrd.

More familiar works will include The Ballinglen Prints, 2021, 8 prints in different media made in conjunction with Parallel Editions, and, in homage to the Guerrilla Girls, the poster ‘The Advantages of being a Cailleach artist.

There will be a public screening of Therry Rudin’s prize winning documentary, Dawn to Dusk, 2021, Soundtrack Carole Nelson, a film of the work of Na Cailleacha. (Best Documentary, International Film Festival, Washington DC., 2022), in the Theatre, Garter Lane, April 23 rd , 2022. This will be followed by a panel discussion chaired by Catherine Drea.