Gone for a Gander – Diarmuid Woodcock

Gone for a Gander is emerging painter, Diarmuid Woodcock’s debut solo exhibition since graduating from the National College of Art and Design in 2023. It continues a line of research from his Graduate Showcase Down Around the Town.

Woodcock paints small, intimate paintings on wooden panels of houses, buildings and domestic spaces that have a connection and resonate with the artist. These paintings are of places across the Island of Ireland, primarily of his hometown of Skerries, Co.Dublin and various places in Co.Kerry and Co.Louth. The body of work for this exhibition dates from late 2023 and 2024.

Woodcock is interested in exploring the ideology of the ‘Flâneur’ and their desire to explore and observe the world around them. While the Flâneur were wealthy 19th Century aristocrats that had the luxury to observe the world around them as they did not need to work. Woodcock uses h is walks and journey to work as an opportunity to take a moment to observe and admire the world around him. The fast-paced nature of modern society does not generally allow for this and the artist uses their world to allow others to experience this connection.

The artist purposefully removes excess from their work such as people, road signs and markings, cars and other objects in order to create a greater connection between the viewer and painting. This minimal approach allows the viewer to immerse themselves in the painting and create their own connections.

Diarmuid is a member of the gallery’s Young Peoples Advisory Panel and a co-curator of the recent AMPLIFY Young People Curate.