a solo exhibition by Lily O’Shea

I dreamt that I was cycling on official business for three days. Suddenly I felt the saddle getting hard and lumpy underneath me. I got down and felt the tyres, but they were unexceptionable and fully pumped. Then I thought my head was giving me a nervous outbreak from too much overwork. I went into a private house where there was a qualified doctor and he examined me completely and told me what the trouble was. I had a slow puncture

–The Third Policeman, Flann O’Brien

A slow puncture is a small hole in a vehicle’s tyre which causes air to escape gradually. It can go unnoticed for a prolonged period of time and could possibly reduce road control in harsh weather conditions.

This exhibition deals with the issue of sustaining an art practice while experiencing burn out. The work is based on the occurrence of a slow puncture and its potential to drain one’s creative abilities. It explores the performance of productivity and the impact of equating self-worth to efficiency. This has resulted in a series of reflections which examine the urge to appear productive while burning out – each element of the exhibition representing pockets of time, or proof of production.

Slow Puncture is curated by Cork-based curator and visual artist Alison O’Shea (b. 1996).

17th September – 2nd October 2021

The Lord Mayor’s Pavillion, supported by Sample Studios: 17th September – 2nd October 2021, Wed – Sat, 11am – 4pm