Alan Phelan: Egon and Ireland

the previously undocumented travels of Egon Schiele in Ireland 1905-1917

This show is a playful presentation of a history that never happened. By entertaining the absurdity of the images, the viewer is encouraged to look beyond the literal photographic image and to question the validity of the story presented, as well as other stories or histories.

The installation consists of several large-scale photo montages plus other smaller images and text. These larger images are seamless photomontages which were constructed using digital imaging technology.These tableaux scenes illustrate the fictional visits to Ireland of the Austrian expressionist painter Egon Schiele (1890-1918).

Image of photomontage from the exhibition Egon and Ireland at the Gallery of Photography November 1 – 20 1993

The installation investigates the notion of photographic truth as well as calling into question the validity or objectivity of historical, museological inquiry. Recent computer technology has made the manipulation of the photographic image virtually undetectable.

About the artist: His first solo show in Ireland, Alan Phelan, a graduate of Dublin City University’s Communication Studies programme in 1989, is currently studying towards a Masters of Fine Art in Photography at the Rochester Institute of Technology, New York. He has received numerous grants including a Fulbright award, a scholarship from the John F.Kennedy Fund, and an Arts Council post-graduate scholarship.