Arriving by Tom Phelan

Arriving

By Tom Phelan
02 November – 30 November, 2024

This new solo show entitled Arriving, draws inspiration from a quote by Brice Marden, “colour is a way of arriving at light”.

For Phelan, words like colour, reflection, transparency, saturation, dispersion, and dissolution have always been intertwined with a fascination for water, particularly the sea. From childhood and into adulthood, as an avid surfer, he has been captivated by the sea’s fluid, mercurial nature—how it bends, ripples, and reflects light. Arriving captures this ongoing exploration, as the artist strives to represent reflected light through multiple glazes on painted surfaces. The concept of Arriving prompts specific questions for Phelan, such as whether light, glazed tones of colour suggest a sense of weightlessness, while saturated, solid, rich colours convey a sense of physical heaviness.

The painting process is slow and methodical. Layers of glaze are applied one by one, then gradually removed until the luminosity of the previous layer begins to emerge, altering both the surface and the overall feel of the work. Working on multiple paintings simultaneously helps create a rhythm, allowing time to carefully adjust each layer. The result is a surface that feels alive, inviting viewers to slow down and immerse themselves in the subtle shifts of light and colour.

Phelan’s encounter with DeWain Valentine in the 1990s left a lasting impression. Discovering one of Valentine’s disc sculptures in a London gallery, he was immediately drawn to its ethereal quality, as if it were floating, encapsulating elements of air and ocean. At the time, as a student in art college, the only other artist Phelan knew to share this fascination was William McKeown, a recent graduate of the University of Ulster in Belfast, who was similarly captivated by the art of California’s West Coast. When McKeown visited Dublin, the two would share bits of knowledge over pints at their local pub, leading to further exploration of artists such as Robert Irwin, Helen Pashgian, and Larry Bell.

Ultimately, Arriving embodies the artist’s continual evolution and desire to capture the interplay of light and colour. It offers viewers a chance to pause, reflect, and engage with a slower, more thoughtful perspective. The artist’s goal is to always keep arriving.

Tom Phelan, a Dublin native, studied at Blackrock College and the Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design & Technology. In 1997, he earned an international scholarship in Graphic Arts at Il Bisonte, Florence, awarded by S.D. Aerospace Design, Tokyo. A member of Graphic Studio Dublin since 1992, he served as Studio Manager and Master Printmaker from 2003 to 2007. Phelan has collaborated as a printmaker with notable artists, including Louis Le Brocquy, A.R. Penck, Michael Farrell, Tony O’Malley, Barry Flanagan and Donald Teskey. Tom currently lives and works in Vienna, Austria, where he continues his practice in printmaking and painting, while running his own editioning studio. He is also head of printmaking at the Vienna Art School (Kunstschule).

Tom Phelan, Carmine Pearl, Oil on Linen, Unique, 70h x 60w cm, €2200