The Space Between
Leah Beggs is an unabashedly accessible artist. The rich tones — reds, blues and greens — she employs in swirling swathes of thin oil paint produce pleasantly harmonious images. It’s no surprise to discover that she features in the collections of a number of hotel groups, and is a soothing presence in the offices of the Revenue Commissioners and Garda Headquarters. She was born in Dublin and studied at IADT Dun Laoghaire before relocating to Galway, where she has found inspiration in the ever-changing skies and countryside around Oughterard. A landscape artist at heart, her work expresses the feel of the west of Ireland without rendering it too literally. On first encounter, you may see only an abstract world of pure colour and form. Gradually, however, the elements of landscape emerge and you become aware of the clouds and sky, patches of water, a beach, a distant forest. Lest we miss these figurative associations, titles such as Big Beach, From Sea to Sky, and Faraway Forest are a help. Beggs throws in a few more cryptic ones — such as I Should Have Gone with You — for us to ponder.
John P O’Sullivan
Solomon Fine Art, Dublin 2, Tue-Fri 10am-5.30pm, Sat 11am-4pm; solomonfineart.ie
