Jess Áine Barry
Artist - Paintings, Textiles & Digital Work
Featured work: Little Shield for a Water Traveller
Little Shield for a Water Traveller was shown in ‘Tread Sprightly’ at Seventh Gallery, Richmond, 22 September – 14 October 2022.
A painted work, acrylic on wood, conceptualised as a shield that imbues protection to the owner. This work is inspired by the idea of a traveller journeying in nature, along the riverways, fens and other waterways of Wales. The traveller may require protection from mischievous and even malevolent nature sprites along their way. So they carry a wooden shield imbued with the protective qualities of a good luck talisman. Water Parsnip, an endangered Welsh wildflower that grows in fens and ditches is depicted as a floral motif.
Water sprites inspired by both Welsh dragons and the Llamhigyn Y Dwr or ‘Water Leaper’ are also depicted. These nature & fantasy motifs are painted in the style of heraldic symbols often carved or etched into mediaeval armoury such as shields.
Image Credit: Little Shield for a Water Traveller by Jess Áine Barry
Flags and Banners for Peace-lovers
Featured Textile works
Image: A Flag for the Moon (left), Tread Sprightly Flag (right).
Image Credit: Seventh Gallery Richmond Photographer:Teagan Ramsay
2022
A Flag For the Moon
A Flag for the Moon was shown in the 'Wells Art Contemporary,' at Wells Cathedral, UK, 2022 and in ‘Tread Sprightly’ at Seventh Gallery, Melbourne, 22 September – 14 October 2022. A textile work using appliqué techniques that references ideas of heraldry and semaphore. It’s inspired by motifs and hand-sewn techniques used in banner making by John Hargrave’s Kindred of the Kibbo Kift and The Suffragette Movement. In creating this flag I imagined a heraldic symbol that could be flown by women and nature lovers to call to each other from afar. The celestial and other nature symbols represent the cycles of nature, feminine strength and pre-Christian connections with the natural world. The flower motif in the centre of the crescent moon references the roses used during the War of the Roses (England, 22 May 1455 – 16 June 1487) to represent warring powerful families. In contrast, this flag seeks to provide a heraldic symbol for peace lovers and challenges the tradition of allocating only warring conquerors their own family crest. Finally, the colours of blue and white draw the viewer to think of the maritime world where flags are still flown to communicate over distance.
Tread Sprightly Flag was shown in ‘Tread Sprightly’ at Seventh Gallery, Melbourne, 22 September – 14 October 2022. A textile work using appliqué techniques, that references ideas of heraldry and semaphore, inspired by John Hargrave’s Kindred of the Kibbo Kift and The Suffragette Movement. The boot motif on this flag is naïve in style and conjures up ideas of adventure, strength in solitude, journeying through greenways and along rambling paths. The flowers and foliage are folk and art-nouveau in style. They represent nature, the ‘otherworld’ and nature sprites that might accompany a journeywoman as she walks. This flag challenges the tradition of only issuing the militant their own crests, insignia and pictorial forms of communication. It does so by gifting the wanderer her own flag to mark her journey and signal to others the peaceful intent of a wayfarer.
2022
Tread Sprightly Flag
Jess Áine Barry
About my Art Practice
About My Painted Works
I work in folkloric or naïve style. I paint with acrylic on cotton canvas and acrylic on wood panel. I draw inspiration from; nature, women, history and the decorative arts.
About My Textile Works
I work in textile to create flags and banners using hand-sewn technique. These works are insignia for the non-powerful adorned with motifs for peace-lovers.
Little Known Facts About Me
I am a triplet. Áine is my middle name ‘as Gaeilge’ (in Irish) I use it for my art practice along with my first name because learning Gaeilge and Irish folklore informs my artwork.
‘The Apple top't oak in the old narrow lane
And the hedge row of bramble and thorn
Will ne'er throw their green on my visions again
As they did on that sweet dewy morn
When I went for spring pooteys and birds nests to look
Down the border of bushes ayont the fair spring
I gathered the palm grass close to the brook
And heard the sweet birds in thorn bushes sing…’
- The Round Oak by John Clare
CONTACT
Instagram: @j_a_barry
