Printmaker Luke Reidy has collaborated with up-and-coming videographer Caimin Jacob on a video that provides insight to his life, his printmaking process, and the environment he’s surrounded by. After moving home from Galway city when the country went into lockdown, Luke decided to set up studio in his parents’ garage in Co Clare, on the west coast of Ireland along the Wild Atlantic Way. This is the place where he grew up; surfing and exploring amazing places such as the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher.
“My career as an artist had always been based around my studios being in cities, so it was my first time coming back west and making work which was really influenced by the countryside, old friends and the spectacular scenery” describes Luke. He began making a series of screen prints that reflect his surroundings, yet also wanted to give people a real insight to his life on the coast and his process. The launch of the video coincides with a new website and the release of a brand new range of work.
Luke worked with Clare-based Caimin Jacob on this project; “…I was really inspired by his work and it motivated me to capture my own process on video“. The two first met at the Centre for Creative Arts and Media in Galway (GMIT’s Art college) a few years ago; at the time Caimin was studying sculpture, and Luke was studying print. “In his final year project Caimin had begun incorporating video and audio into his artwork and I guess that’s where he got hooked in to video production” explains Luke. The duo then went their separate ways, and reconnected years later through a mutual friend. The printmaker states; “I had a look at some of his current work and it exactly fit the style and aesthetic I wanted to portray in a video about my work“.
The process began with a brainstorming session between the two, where they decided to split the filming up in to two days; one to capture Luke’s environment, and another to capture his work and process. The video was filmed on Lumix Cameras (S1 and GH5), with adapted Canon Glass. Instead of lighting the workshop, they opted to use the ambient and soft light that shone through the garage door. The collaborators also utilised a drone for the outdoor shots on the coast, using the DJI Inspire 2.
“It was important for me to get across to people the bespoke nature of what I do. I think when people understand that each print is unique it can change their view of screen printing. Also to explain to people how the imperfections of the print is what makes it special and unique, they are like the brushstrokes of a painter. The imperfections are what separate what printers do from digital formats and give the pieces some kind of personality for me. Where I grew up has really influenced me and I had over the last number of years wanted to catalogue that in some way. I think this piece has given me that chance.”
Luke and Caimin hope to turn the video into a documentary and feature other artists around Ireland, exploring their artistic process and how their surroundings influence them.
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