http://cargocollective.com Steve Maher Art Sat, 27 Apr 2013 20:10:34 +0000 http://cargocollective.com en http://www.stevemaher.net/All-The-Greats http://www.stevemaher.net/following/stevemaher.net/All-The-Greats Sat, 27 Apr 2013 20:10:34 +0000 Steve Maher Art 5498980 <img src="http://payload159.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/5498980/All The Greats_580.jpg" width="580" height="851" width_o="2048" height_o="3005" src_o="http://payload159.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/5498980/All The Greats_o.jpg" data-mid="29613890" border="0" align="left"/> Baseball with the signatures of: Muammar al-Gaddafi Joseph Stalin Charles Haughey Margaret Tacher Sadam Hussien Richard Nixon Bertie Ahern Adolf Hitler George W Bush jr Baseball with the signatures of: Muammar al-Gaddafi Joseph Stalin Charles Haughey Margaret Tacher Sadam Hussien Richard Nixon Bertie Ahern Adolf Hitler George W... http://www.stevemaher.net/Unfulfilled http://www.stevemaher.net/following/stevemaher.net/Unfulfilled Sat, 20 Apr 2013 17:28:40 +0000 Steve Maher Art 5449753 <img src="http://payload157.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/5449753/DSC_0080_580.JPG" width="580" height="388" width_o="2048" height_o="1370" src_o="http://payload157.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/5449753/DSC_0080_o.JPG" data-mid="29344644" border="0" align="left"/> The bureaucratic process is an all encroaching fear inducing mechanic which is so invasive it has entrenched itself into our core rituals. Life, death and pair bonding are tied to our very existence, we have attached inevitable meaning to all theses processes. These events are not in question, although it is more than possible to walk down that particular path of analytically deconstruction. Although one of these phenomena is particularly indescribable from a entirely personal perspective, these events are also interpreted as aspects of our respective cultures which become encased within strict ritual choreographies which we enact. There are periods of time which we socially dedicate entirely to these activities, the lives of human beings are dictated by the circumstances in which these events take place. A State is like any other social construct, it is something that has an in built logic system of which the participants adhere to. It is not nearly a container for the interpersonal relationships we deal with daily but does often bisect them. The rituals of the state become equal parts pragmatic and surreal as it matures, by-laws are passed that then become futile within an age. Some things don’t stop like the meat grinder which is our lives, and there will always be a man with a stamp categorizing that journey. The incarnations of this may change but as long as we socially organize in large scale this will be true. The language needed to describe this will change but there will always be forms to fill and queues to wait in. This is the bureaucratic trinity. These are three certificates available at any local HSE registry office. They are not filled out. The bureaucratic process is an all encroaching fear inducing mechanic which is so invasive it has entrenched itself into our core rituals. Life, death and pair... http://www.stevemaher.net/Instrument http://www.stevemaher.net/following/stevemaher.net/Instrument Thu, 21 Feb 2013 08:57:38 +0000 Steve Maher Art 1602901 The guitar is an Instrument a large proportion of the global populace can play, it has permeated beyond cultural and geographical borders situating itself within the heart of music which is literally hundreds of years old. The contemporary guitar is merely a hundred years old, descending from the Oud which was introduced to Spain by the Moor's. The Spanish adapted this instrument with the addition of frets which traveled throughout central Europe becoming the Scandinavian Lute. Over the course of its travels the contemporary guitar has evolved. What ever its form the Chordophone has inserted itself in so many cultures, becoming an aspect of almost all contemporary music to the extent it could be considered archetypal form. The central proposal to this project is to harness the latent power of chordophone development in our cultures. There are a literal myriad of instruments which either share a similar ancestor to the contemporary guitar or are derived from it. From the Balalaika and the Bouzouki to the Banjo and the Sitar, the same structure has repeated in different locations because of its interactive and constructional simplicity. A basic chordophone can be made from as little as four to five items, all of which are either freely available and lying around the house or relatively cheap to purchase. Taking this as my starting point, over the second half of 2012 I began the construction of several Chordophone models initially starting with the Cigar Box Guitar. The CBG grew in popularity during 1920's depression era american, played predominantly by Folk and early Blues musicians. These group attached an affinity to the cigar box guitar because it was relatively easy and cheap to make with available materials which was a godsend for most who could not afford a "real" guitar. My aim is to work with groups of people in a project centered around the creation of musical instrument. In this project the knowledge to create will be shared through group activity and the construction of several stringed instruments. This exchange will hopefully empower the collaborators and dispel the seemingly mystical concept of instrument construction. To make the creation of music a democratic process open and available to all irregardless social standing or economic prowess. Canjo <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/2013-02-20 01.43.24_580.jpg" width="580" height="419" width_o="2048" height_o="1480" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/2013-02-20 01.43.24_o.jpg" data-mid="26946394" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/2013-02-20 01.43.33_580.jpg" width="580" height="388" width_o="2048" height_o="1370" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/2013-02-20 01.43.33_o.jpg" data-mid="26946404" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/2013-02-20 01.43.52_580.jpg" width="580" height="370" width_o="2048" height_o="1309" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/2013-02-20 01.43.52_o.jpg" data-mid="26946413" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/2013-02-20 01.43.58_580.jpg" width="580" height="388" width_o="2048" height_o="1370" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/2013-02-20 01.43.58_o.jpg" data-mid="26946421" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/2013-02-20 01.44.07_580.jpg" width="580" height="388" width_o="2048" height_o="1370" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/2013-02-20 01.44.07_o.jpg" data-mid="26946437" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/2013-02-20 01.44.33_580.jpg" width="580" height="388" width_o="2048" height_o="1370" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/2013-02-20 01.44.33_o.jpg" data-mid="26946446" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/2013-02-20 01.45.31_580.jpg" width="580" height="366" width_o="2048" height_o="1292" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/2013-02-20 01.45.31_o.jpg" data-mid="26946456" border="0" align="left"/> This is the Canjo, the most simple of all the instruments created here. It is a single string with a tin can as a resonator attached to a long piece piece of wood. The Canjo is the most rudimentary of all the instruments I have made but in my opinion the most versatile in design. A Canjo is the best way to educate collaborators in the nature of codrodfone construction and with didactic tuned fret-board it is the easiest way for first time musician to play an instrument as there are simply no wrong notes. This was not the first cordophone I made but it is the most versatile in the context of my project. <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/Thursten moore with canjo_580.jpg" width="580" height="484" width_o="915" height_o="764" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/Thursten moore with canjo_o.jpg" data-mid="26946682" border="0" align="left"/> Above Thursten Moore of Sonic Youth fame, January 2012 proud owner of his new Canjo. What a nice guy, great set in his collaboration with John Moloney at Bourkes Bar, Limerick. I felt like giving the gift of a canjo, the particular one I made which you can only really see the top of in this Image was a real trudgey sounding one. The nicer of the two I have made so far. This particular model is the foundation of the project I am currently proposing. Banjocastor <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/Finished Edit_580.JPG" width="580" height="866" width_o="2048" height_o="3059" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/Finished Edit_o.JPG" data-mid="28807969" border="0" align="left"/> Here is a picture of me with an unfinished project the Banjocastor. This is an experiment with a recycling project I am currently conceptualizing as an aspect of the project Instrument. Taking a banjo with a broken neck gifted by a friend and a spare Stratocastor style neck I have combined two semiologically iconic objects in their own rights to give new life and meaning to them. The banjo is rarely associated with rock and roll, having mostly been relegated to folk and traditional music, I have had a functioning banjo for the past few years now and have an affinity its tone and form over other cordophones. (more photos to come, also a video clip) <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/2013-02-20 01.37.46_580.jpg" width="580" height="388" width_o="2048" height_o="1370" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/2013-02-20 01.37.46_o.jpg" data-mid="26946340" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/2013-02-20 01.38.43_580.jpg" width="580" height="338" width_o="2048" height_o="1196" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/2013-02-20 01.38.43_o.jpg" data-mid="26946353" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/2013-02-20 01.39.31_580.jpg" width="580" height="377" width_o="2048" height_o="1333" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/2013-02-20 01.39.31_o.jpg" data-mid="26946359" border="0" align="left"/> Tennis Racquet Banjo <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/2013-02-20 01.33.56_580.jpg" width="580" height="868" width_o="2048" height_o="3065" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/2013-02-20 01.33.56_o.jpg" data-mid="26946565" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/2013-02-20 01.41.45_580.jpg" width="580" height="385" width_o="2048" height_o="1362" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/2013-02-20 01.41.45_o.jpg" data-mid="26946572" border="0" align="left"/> <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/2013-02-20 01.41.53_580.jpg" width="580" height="388" width_o="2048" height_o="1370" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/2013-02-20 01.41.53_o.jpg" data-mid="26946580" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/2013-02-20 01.42.53_580.jpg" width="580" height="388" width_o="2048" height_o="1370" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/2013-02-20 01.42.53_o.jpg" data-mid="26946590" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/2013-02-20 01.43.03_580.jpg" width="580" height="416" width_o="2048" height_o="1470" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/2013-02-20 01.43.03_o.jpg" data-mid="26946602" border="0" align="left"/> This was an idea I had before I even started making my own instruments. It so easy to pic up a tennis racquet an air strum like its a guitar. When you look at the essential structure of it easily lends itself to a simulated banjo, so I figured the best thing to do was to make a banjo out of tennis racket. I attached a head stock to the handle and fastened a Mylar drum skin to the edge using wooden clams. Badminton Banjo <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/2013-02-20 01.31.28_580.jpg" width="580" height="970" width_o="2048" height_o="3428" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/2013-02-20 01.31.28_o.jpg" data-mid="26946280" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/DSC_0258_580.JPG" width="580" height="388" width_o="2048" height_o="1370" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/DSC_0258_o.JPG" data-mid="26946291" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/DSC_0259_580.jpg" width="580" height="388" width_o="2048" height_o="1370" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/DSC_0259_o.jpg" data-mid="26946299" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/DSC_0262_580.jpg" width="580" height="388" width_o="2048" height_o="1370" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/DSC_0262_o.jpg" data-mid="26946307" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/In This Day and Age page 2_580.jpg" width="580" height="388" width_o="2048" height_o="1370" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/In This Day and Age page 2_o.jpg" data-mid="26946319" border="0" align="left"/> Similar to the tennis racquet but smaller in size. Cigar Box Guitar <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/2013-02-20 01.47.02_580.jpg" width="580" height="866" width_o="2048" height_o="3059" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/2013-02-20 01.47.02_o.jpg" data-mid="26946520" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/2013-02-20 01.46.11_580.jpg" width="580" height="388" width_o="2048" height_o="1370" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/2013-02-20 01.46.11_o.jpg" data-mid="26946504" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/2013-02-20 01.46.27_580.jpg" width="580" height="388" width_o="2048" height_o="1370" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/2013-02-20 01.46.27_o.jpg" data-mid="26946513" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/2013-02-20 01.33.15_580.jpg" width="580" height="872" width_o="2048" height_o="3081" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/2013-02-20 01.33.15_o.jpg" data-mid="26946498" border="0" align="left"/> The first instrument I made, this has a piezo microphone pick up so its fully electric. Plug this into an amp and its a true electric guitar. <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/9781859734346.jpg" width="336" height="500" width_o="336" height_o="500" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602901/9781859734346_o.jpg" data-mid="29479911" border="0" align="left"/> Collection of essays that has proven very influential for this project. I highly recommend this book! The guitar is an Instrument a large proportion of the global populace can play, it has permeated beyond cultural and geographical borders situating itself within... http://www.stevemaher.net/What-is-not-seen http://www.stevemaher.net/following/stevemaher.net/What-is-not-seen Wed, 19 Sep 2012 15:10:35 +0000 Steve Maher Art 971483 <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/971483/126 Gallway-Who Dares This Pair of Boots Displace.jpg" width="482" height="720" width_o="482" height_o="720" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/971483/126 Gallway-Who Dares This Pair of Boots Displace_o.jpg" data-mid="4665699" border="0" align="left"/> This is the write up for the 126 show “Who Dares This Pair Of Boots displace”. Who dares this pair of boots displace? Steve Maher, Fiona Hession,Tadhg McCullagh, Anne O’Byrne, Aidan Kelleher and Brendan Hoare. September 10th – October 2nd, 2010. Opening reception:Thursday September 9th, 7-9pm. 126 Presents Who dares this pair of boots displace? a show by six recent graduates from Galway & Mayo Institute of Technology and Limerick School of Art and Design. The new works, responding to the theme displaced, include drawing, sculpture and video. Considering their recent transition this exhibition provides a platform for new processes, dialogue and interaction. Steve Maher is a graduate of Limerick School of Art and Design and is a member of the artist partnership ”Like Studio” in Limerick city. His work is based around performance, sculpture and drawing. Maher considers that within the enculturation endured through the formative years of life, there exists a duality in how individuals are taught to interpret their immediate environment. Fiona Hession, a GMIT graduate, is a Galway Based Visual Artist. Her work to date has focused on the various face of “Home” in modern society and what this term means on a personal level. Hession uses a variety of disciplines such as sculpture, print and textiles to inform her work. In this new work she has endeavoured to look beyond the traditional concept of her own home and try to understand the emotional trauma of being displaced on a much larger level. Tadhg McCullagh studied painting at Limerick School of Art and Design. Who me? Yes you. Not me! Couldn’t be! Then who? presents moments where the instrumental attitudes that are dominant in our society can be, at least momentarily, set aside. The cogs are given a chance to turn alternatively allowing an opportunity for reflection on the system as a whole to take place. Tadhg’s practice is informed mainly by sociological studies and how these issues can be represented through art. Anne O’Byrne studied at the Limerick College of Art and most recently at GMIT. O’Byrne’s work focuses on the engagement and observation of the mundane and the banal. Things we see in front of us every day, things we work with and places we live in are all subjects of her analysis. Working with her deep interest in all things aeronautical with conceptual ideas of construction, O’Byrne toys with the physical entity of a ‘Displaced Threshold’. The body of work consists of 4 works on paper, 3 works on gessoed board, a video piece approx. 9 mins, and a constructional piece. Aidan Kelleher received a B.A in Fine Art Printmaking from Limerick School of Art and Design and is a member of Limerick Printmakers. Aidan’s practice studies the use of devices with which a viewer can interact. For 126 Aidan created a machine designed to evoke an emotional response. “Fear”was conceived by first researching an accurate definition of what fear meant and researching different ways that people could be agitated by the presence of danger. To create the feeling of and the image of this fear, two electrodes were attached to the controllers which are set to randomly administer an electric shock. A sense of danger and tension is generated. Brendan Hoare, completed a degree in Fine Art in GMIT, Galway. In the work created for this show, Hoare suggests we are programmed to perceive identity in ourselves. This identity is a mask which allows us to interact and function socially. We are in fact a collection of perceptions which succeed each other with great rapidity and are in perpetual movement. Memory, which is basis of identity, is constituted of a collection of these disjointed fragmentary episodes. The unified, continuous self is an illusion. The inner life is too subtle and transient to be known to itself. 126 was established in 2006 by local artists in their own living room as a response to the need for more non-commercial gallery spaces in Galway and is currently located on Queen Street in the city centre. This is the write up for the 126 show “Who Dares This Pair Of Boots displace”. Who dares this pair of boots displace? Steve Maher, Fiona Hession,Tadhg... http://www.stevemaher.net/Knowledge http://www.stevemaher.net/following/stevemaher.net/Knowledge Thu, 16 Jun 2011 14:25:27 +0000 Steve Maher Art 1603367 <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1603367/DSC_0211_580.JPG" width="580" height="388" width_o="2048" height_o="1370" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1603367/DSC_0211_o.JPG" data-mid="26926967" border="0" align="left"/> The Conch is an item used through out several Pan-Global cultures, it has many purposes. It serves for many as a material for building houses, a wind based instrument or a high source of protein in many culinary traditions. In western European culture it mainly serves as an artefact that represents travelling abroad and returning with a souvenir, for most it stands as something you pick up and place close to your ear to hear the ocean. This is in fact a natural simulation created by the reverberations of blood flow passing through your ears and your head which become condensed by the conch’s narrowing shape. This simulation to most is serene and tranquil, similar to pink noise a known wave based sound pattern which is said to aid people relax and fall asleep. The pattern itself is similar to the sound of ocean waves. This entire set of biological coincidences creates a serendipitous situation, the aim of this work is to upset what seems like some sort of design and reveal the chaos of a natural set of randomly occurring events. By our nature we assume a pattern when presented with a confluence of events, what we assume is often mistaken as knowledge, fact or truth. But the ground on which all this stands is quiet unsteady when certain realisations are triggered. Technical Description Clear from the image is a 35mm stereo jack lead connected to the conch shell which is central to this piece. Within the conch shell is a small Elliptical Hi-Fi speaker, which uses the natural amplifying properties of the shell. Supplied with this work is small personal mp3 player with Operation Ivy's Punk anthemic song Knowledge (The Lyrics for which are detailed bellow). The audience should be encourage to pick up the conch to listen to the sound emanating from its mouth. <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1603367/DSC_0220_580.jpg" width="580" height="388" width_o="2048" height_o="1370" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1603367/DSC_0220_o.jpg" data-mid="26926972" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1603367/DSC_0223_580.jpg" width="580" height="866" width_o="2048" height_o="3059" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1603367/DSC_0223_o.jpg" data-mid="26927008" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1603367/DSC_0228_580.jpg" width="580" height="388" width_o="2048" height_o="1370" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1603367/DSC_0228_o.jpg" data-mid="26927022" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1603367/DSC_0241_580.jpg" width="580" height="388" width_o="2048" height_o="1370" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1603367/DSC_0241_o.jpg" data-mid="26927028" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1603367/DSC_0219_580.jpg" width="580" height="388" width_o="2048" height_o="1370" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1603367/DSC_0219_o.jpg" data-mid="26927090" border="0" align="left"/> The use of this song is only a tribute to a group of artists in their own right that I really respect. Like most of my work no money has been made through this piece. Operation Ivy -Knowledge I know things are getting tougher When you cant get the top off the bottom of the barrel Wide open road of my future now... Its looking fucking narrow All I know is that I don't know All I know is that I don't know nothing All I know is that I don't know All I know is that I don't know nothing We get told to decide Just like as if I'm not gonna change my mind All I know is that I don't know All I know is that I don't know nothing All I know is that I don't know All I know is that I don't know nothing Whatcha gonna do with yourself Boy better make up your mind Whatcha gonna do with yourself  Boy running out of time This time I got it all figured out All I know is that I don't know All I know is that I don't know nothing All I know is that I don't know All I know is that I don't know nothing All I know is that I don't know All I know is that I don't know nothing All I know is that I don't know All I know is that I don't know nothing And that's fine The Conch is an item used through out several Pan-Global cultures, it has many purposes. It serves for many as a material for building houses, a wind based... http://www.stevemaher.net/Uncommissioned-Public-Art-Installations http://www.stevemaher.net/following/stevemaher.net/Uncommissioned-Public-Art-Installations Thu, 16 Jun 2011 14:10:24 +0000 Steve Maher Art 1602968 Shoulda Woulda Coulda <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602968/SWC 037_580.JPG" width="580" height="388" width_o="2048" height_o="1370" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602968/SWC 037_o.JPG" data-mid="7851981" border="0" align="left"/> Meh (Irish General Election 2011) <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602968/Meh 1_580.JPG" width="580" height="866" width_o="2048" height_o="3059" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602968/Meh 1_o.JPG" data-mid="7851987" border="0" align="left"/> <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602968/Meh 3_580.JPG" width="580" height="388" width_o="2048" height_o="1370" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1602968/Meh 3_o.JPG" data-mid="7851998" border="0" align="left"/> Shoulda Woulda Coulda Meh (Irish General Election 2011) http://www.stevemaher.net/The-Speculative-Society http://www.stevemaher.net/following/stevemaher.net/The-Speculative-Society Thu, 16 Jun 2011 14:09:44 +0000 Steve Maher Art 1603041 <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1603041/2012-08-02 21.01.36_580.jpg" width="580" height="435" width_o="2048" height_o="1536" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1603041/2012-08-02 21.01.36_o.jpg" data-mid="21583076" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1603041/2012-08-02 21.02.00_580.jpg" width="580" height="435" width_o="2048" height_o="1536" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1603041/2012-08-02 21.02.00_o.jpg" data-mid="21583089" border="0" align="left"/> What is the legacy of our role in this particular time and place and what shape will society take in 25, 50 or a hundred years due to the actions and decisions we make today? What impact do we have on a potential and speculated society? How as individuals do we foresee our role in the everyday lives of a future society in which we may no longer be present? “If we have learned one thing from the history of invention and discovery it is that in the long run – and often in the short one – the most daring prophecies seem laughably conservative” Arthur C. Clarke Speculation has uses beyond sheer fiction, we forecast the short term everyday in preparation for the following moment but our predictions can never truly be accurate. Our predictions can however be inaccurate in a very interesting way, how we speculate currently in the present moment characterises who we are and what we believe more than any other archival text could ever represent. Our aspirations and our interpretations of what is possible define who we are here and now more so than what we believe we know about our present moment, just look at classic science fiction texts and the fact that no matter how imaginative and intricate they were conceptualy they just couldn’t shake certain social bias and perspective of there own time. No matter how advanced the supercomputer or anti-gravity system described in these stories were certain aspects of the time the tales where written in persist like the archetypal lead male or the Nuclear Family. What we are interested in is not an interpretation of past forms of speculation, although these are still relevant for an anticipation of future societies reflection of our own actions now, we are interested in the uses speculation has for us today and the dialogue it can provoke. This link will bring you to the dedicated site for the The Speculative Society. Open publication - Free publishing - More art This is the E-Zine version of The Speculative Societies soon to be launched publication, the physical publication itself will be on sale Friday the 21st of September at the Ma Social Practice and the Creative Environment showcase 2012. This will be a showing of all the projects undertaking by this years post graduate students including project coordinator of The Speculative Society, Steve Maher. The E-Zine edition of the publication has some slight difference in layout but is essentially the exact same. Some alterations where made for the sake of it being a digital publication but everything that is visible in the physical publication is visible in the digital publication. Want further proof? Have a look for yourself. <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1603041/DSC_0311_580.JPG" width="580" height="388" width_o="2048" height_o="1370" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1603041/DSC_0311_o.JPG" data-mid="21583188" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1603041/DSC_0314_580.JPG" width="580" height="388" width_o="2048" height_o="1370" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1603041/DSC_0314_o.JPG" data-mid="21583195" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1603041/DSC_0316_580.JPG" width="580" height="388" width_o="2048" height_o="1370" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1603041/DSC_0316_o.JPG" data-mid="21583200" border="0" align="left"/> Particular Future Scenarios on sale at Limerick International Publishers Salon at Ormston House, February, 2013. <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1603041/601988_599969353351432_249567652_n.jpg" width="453" height="604" width_o="453" height_o="604" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1603041/601988_599969353351432_249567652_n_o.jpg" data-mid="27031281" border="0" align="left"/> Taking Place - Invited by Occupy Space to hold a Speculative Society meeting, this was held in Faber Studios, Henry Street, Limerick. The format for the meetings changed somewhat for our first meeting of 2013, videos sourced from the internet were played and then the impact of the emerging technological trends they represented were discussed by the group. <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1603041/30032013407_580.jpg" width="580" height="435" width_o="2048" height_o="1536" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1603041/30032013407_o.jpg" data-mid="28816034" border="0" align="left"/> Thanks to Kevin O'Keefe for the shots. What is the legacy of our role in this particular time and place and what shape will society take in 25, 50 or a hundred years due to the actions and decisions we... http://www.stevemaher.net/Illustrations http://www.stevemaher.net/following/stevemaher.net/Illustrations Thu, 16 Jun 2011 12:36:23 +0000 Steve Maher Art 1513056 <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1513056/Inhaler_580.jpg" width="580" height="386" width_o="2048" height_o="1365" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1513056/Inhaler_o.jpg" data-mid="27710424" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1513056/Self Control_580.jpg" width="580" height="464" width_o="2048" height_o="1638" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1513056/Self Control_o.jpg" data-mid="27965085" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1513056/art1_580.jpg" width="580" height="429" width_o="2048" height_o="1516" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1513056/art1_o.jpg" data-mid="29581303" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1513056/The Universe Does not Care_580.jpg" width="580" height="820" width_o="2048" height_o="2896" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1513056/The Universe Does not Care_o.jpg" data-mid="7847599" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1513056/M-16 Raptor_580.jpg" width="580" height="845" width_o="1968" height_o="2868" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1513056/M-16 Raptor_o.jpg" data-mid="27079509" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1513056/The Sky Falls_580.jpg" width="580" height="425" width_o="2048" height_o="1501" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1513056/The Sky Falls_o.jpg" data-mid="7847649" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1513056/Untitled-4_580.jpg" width="580" height="426" width_o="2048" height_o="1506" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1513056/Untitled-4_o.jpg" data-mid="7850883" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1513056/Fatal Woman_580.jpg" width="580" height="436" width_o="2048" height_o="1539" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1513056/Fatal Woman_o.jpg" data-mid="7847612" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1513056/cerberus 8_580.jpg" width="580" height="377" width_o="2048" height_o="1333" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1513056/cerberus 8_o.jpg" data-mid="7850862" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1513056/Pay no-one nothing_580.jpg" width="580" height="392" width_o="2048" height_o="1387" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/1513056/Pay no-one nothing_o.jpg" data-mid="7850268" border="0" align="left"/> http://www.stevemaher.net/Progress-is-an-Unending-Means-to-an-End http://www.stevemaher.net/following/stevemaher.net/Progress-is-an-Unending-Means-to-an-End Mon, 24 Jan 2011 00:49:45 +0000 Steve Maher Art 971490 <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/971490/21_580.jpg" width="580" height="435" width_o="2048" height_o="1536" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/971490/21_o.jpg" data-mid="21582349" border="0" align="left"/>Curated by Anna Crudge & Nora O Murchu as part of the Worlds End residency programme. The German Art critic Franz Roh first coined the phrase ‘Magic Realism’ to describe the work of Post-Expressionist painters of the 1920s, which in his view “uncover[ed] the mystery hidden in ordinary objects”. Rooted in phenomenological or existential theories Roh did not concern himself with the fantastic or mythological but the ‘magic’ of the everyday as presented anew in these art works. In the literary context, as the term is now more widely known, the fantastic is presented in an otherwise realistic setting “to reach beyond the confines of realism and draw upon the energies of fable, folk tale, and myth while maintaining a strong contemporary social relevance” (The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms, 3rd ed., 2008) This non-literal interpretation of the world has its parallels in contemporary art. The artists in this show draw on the same “energies” as their literary counterparts to re-present experience. They remind us of the richness of our experience through exploring the meaning things have within it. Ciara Dunne Aurélie Mossé Steve Maher Tom Dalton Tracy Hanna 10th - 13th November, 2011 The Guesthouse 10 Chapel Street, Shan<img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/971490/10_580.jpg" width="580" height="435" width_o="2048" height_o="1536" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/971490/10_o.jpg" data-mid="21582328" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/971490/19_580.jpg" width="580" height="435" width_o="2048" height_o="1536" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/971490/19_o.jpg" data-mid="21582335" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/971490/20_580.jpg" width="580" height="435" width_o="2048" height_o="1536" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/971490/20_o.jpg" data-mid="21582342" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/971490/6_580.jpg" width="580" height="435" width_o="2048" height_o="1536" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/971490/6_o.jpg" data-mid="21582316" border="0" align="left"/>don, Cork Curated by Anna Crudge & Nora O Murchu as part of the Worlds End residency programme. The German Art critic Franz Roh first coined the phrase ‘Magic Realism’... http://www.stevemaher.net/Performance-Video http://www.stevemaher.net/following/stevemaher.net/Performance-Video Mon, 24 Jan 2011 00:35:55 +0000 Steve Maher Art 971463 Protest.....Something <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/971463/29479_125554004126305_100000151190992_330439_4986927_n.jpg" width="480" height="720" width_o="480" height_o="720" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/971463/29479_125554004126305_100000151190992_330439_4986927_n_o.jpg" data-mid="4665654" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/971463/29479_125553974126308_100000151190992_330438_4957765_n.jpg" width="480" height="720" width_o="480" height_o="720" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/971463/29479_125553974126308_100000151190992_330438_4957765_n_o.jpg" data-mid="4665653" border="0" align="left"/> On the 7th of may 2010 I orchestrated a protest which protested protesting as part of The Spirit Store’s CAT DIG as part of EV+A 2010. Protest is an aspect of society; its function is to communicate in opposition to accepted and dominant ideologies. But because protest is an aspect within society which bids to change perceived injustices that previously existed within said society, it simply becomes an aspect of the same system which allows such injustices to occur. As soon as an aspect of revolt can be identified as iconic more so than functional it can no longer embody its function. When the protesting placard is viewed as an accepted tool it can no longer facilitate the same social change because it is too identifiable and as a result too easy to dismiss. This arguably renders any message or slogan present functionless, redundant and by extension apathetic. This new iconographic and sociological status of placard cannot empower in the manner that revolutionary practice requires it to but instead rob it of the power it originally had as a tool for revolt. There are examples throughout our culture of revolutionary figures which have been iconographised and have been culturally assimilated, as a result they’re identification as revolutionary figures is neutered of potential revolutionary content. A placard as an identifiable object cannot be used to facilitate social change because it is too much a part of a system which by its nature is problematic. By extension the act of protesting in the traditional placard based manner can no longer function as an effective act of revolt. <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/971463/29479_125553954126310_100000151190992_330437_6551005_n_580.jpg" width="580" height="386" width_o="720" height_o="480" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/971463/29479_125553954126310_100000151190992_330437_6551005_n_o.jpg" data-mid="5050265" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/971463/protest and studio 138_580.JPG" width="580" height="386" width_o="2048" height_o="1365" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/971463/protest and studio 138_o.JPG" data-mid="29103140" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/971463/CAT DIG as part of EV-A 2009 -Protest Something_3_580.JPG" width="580" height="386" width_o="2048" height_o="1365" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/971463/CAT DIG as part of EV-A 2009 -Protest Something_3_o.JPG" data-mid="5050267" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/971463/protest and studio 114_580.JPG" width="580" height="386" width_o="2048" height_o="1365" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/971463/protest and studio 114_o.JPG" data-mid="29102878" border="0" align="left"/> Egging my Parents House We Should Want What We Have Dog Eating Cat Food All Words Mean the Same Thing <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/971463/All20Words20Mean20The20Same20Thing.jpg" width="480" height="720" width_o="480" height_o="720" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/971463/All20Words20Mean20The20Same20Thing_o.jpg" data-mid="21584362" border="0" align="left"/> Belched the alphabet infront of 50 to 70 people. The End Is Fine <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/971463/The_End_Is_Fine_2_by_b1nman_580.jpg" width="580" height="434" width_o="600" height_o="450" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/78859/971463/The_End_Is_Fine_2_by_b1nman_o.jpg" data-mid="21584364" border="0" align="left"/> Performance I did while still in college, put on my best/only suit. Made my sandwich board out of Brennan's bread pans that were left outside a Spar. Then I walked up and down Cruises Street in Limerick City Centre which is like a Grafton Street that didn't work. Protest.....Something On the 7th of may 2010 I orchestrated a protest which protested protesting as part of The Spirit Store’s CAT DIG as part of EV+A 2010. ...