Hand of Man | Group Show | Curated by Stella Kramer

Amna Walayat, Andrew Carroll, Ben Reilly, Éadaoin Glynn, Lynn-Marie Dennehy, Fiona Kelly, Helen Cantwell, Helen O’Shea, Tom Doig 

The exhibition Hand of Man combines selected work by Backwater Artists Members whose work encompasses intervention and manipulation; capturing influence, alterations and transformations.  

The act or action of altering something, or a course of events, whether with the intention to or not. Processes constantly interrupt, continue and alter other processes. It happens in many ways and contexts, whether intentional or not, with positive or negative effects. Artists capture the act or action of intervention, or where this has happened. The interference of humans in nature, however small, the landscape has been affected. Or men influencing women’s lives, rights and safety. Artists manipulating their materials with a purpose, allowing the mediums to interact and behave in the way the artists desires. The retelling of narratives and reconstruction of what we think is truth. Hand of Man showcases different interpretations and ways of intervening and manipulating through the eyes of the artists, and brings them together.   

The Hand of Man implies the impact of people in nature, our landscape, whose effects are usually quite visible. Yet it also suggests people influencing other people, making choices for others. Being influenced by what we see online, the façade of the truth that might be someone else’s white lie. The Hand of Man can also be seen as the hand of the artist who moves and manipulates their material. The finishes piece is the result of their process. Through the hands of others, changes are made, and the world is left differently from how it was found.