"Pigsy" screening at the Bristol Independent Film Festival
“Pigsy” Official Selection at the Bristol Independent Film Festival 2018
Mike Andrews short film "Pigsy" will be screened as part of the Bristol Independent Film Festival on the 15th - 16th of September.
Watch the film to see artist PIGSY and his life with dyslexia.
PIGSY film is now online!
"Pigsy" screening at the Galway Film Festival
PIGSY screens in Galway Film Festival
Mike Andrews' short film "Pigsy" will be screened as part of the Galway Film Festival on Sunday the 15th of July at midday. As part of an 8 Irish shorts screening, tickets are available on the festival website.
PIGSY short film on Youtube now
Edit - you can now watch the PIGSY film on Youtube or below
Christmas is coming....
Christmas Gifts for Art Lovers
Christmas is coming and we are all beginning to think of gifts for our loved ones. Most of us have that one hard to buy for person in our life. They are generally someone who has everything and they cause lots of stress as we fret over what to get them.
Worry no more, as I have the perfect suggestions of what to buy for the hard to buy for.
ART!
Who doesn't love art? And even if someone has lots of art they always want more!
So if you make the decision to buy art this Christmas do check out my online store.
Or get in contact with me and we can arrange a convenient time for you to call to my house and have a look at a particular piece that you have an interest in. I will serve mince pies and mulled wine (well it is Christmas!) while you peruse my work.
Prints!
Send me an email if you want to have a look at my artwork and remember I also sell limited edition prints!
"Nostalgia's Not What it Was" Fumbally Exchange
PIGSY Solo Exhibition
“Nostalgia’s Not What it Was” , Fumbally Exchange, Dublin
Here's a few photos from my recent exhibition "Nostalgia's Not What it Was" in Fumbally Exchange in early October 2017. This was the second PIGSY solo show after the sell out success of my first one the year previously in The Kemp Gallery on South Frederick Street.
“Nostalgia’s Not What it Was” was held over 4 days and nights in Fumbally Exchange on Dame Lane, Dublin. Each night of the exhibition was themed slightly differently and catered for different audiences.
PIGSY Opening Night: Thursday 5th October 2017
Opening night was a busy affair. There was a large attendance and there was a brilliant buzz about my art with most of it selling out on the first night. Most guests had been at my previous solo show and were on the guest list. Manning the front door were twins Enid and Amy in their matching PIGSY branded t-shirts and they gave everyone a friendly greeting as they arrived. Extra to the guest list attendees there was also lots of drop in’s as Dame Lane is a busy street and people passing by could see the art and so they wanted to get in on the PIGSY action and have a look at the art too. For this event, I served prosecco along with a red and white wine offering (thanks to Pembroke wines). Irish craft beer makers Hope Beer also were in attendance and they brought along their tasty beers which went down a treat with my guests.
Street Night: Friday 6th October 2017
This was an edgier event than opening night. I had advertised it on Facebook and the guests that signed up to attend were more alternative to those who visited on the first night. I had a DJ playing a full set for the evening and again Hope Beer served beers to the crowd. Word spread fast and there was large amount of attendees. The vibe was very positive and the response to my art was phenomenal with loads of people sharing images on to social media which I always love!
Chilled out Art: Saturday 7th October 2017
The Saturday night event was far more mellow than the other nights. It was a case of playing a specially created playlist and serving wine to a select group of invited guests or guests who had already visited on the other nights but wanted to return to see the art in a quieter setting where they could get to talk to me about the artwork.
Family Day: Sunday 8th October 2017
Sunday being the last day of the event meant that it was beginning to wind down and the exhibition was on display from 12pm to 5pm. I had been promoting the last day on social media so I was being contacted from early on by people saying they had not got in over the weekend so they would call in on Sunday. Also my family had been invited in on this day and so some of them visited at different points over the day. I had laid on flasks of coffee and brunch style snacks for all who visited on Sunday and it was a really nice sociable day. At 5pm there was still people coming to the door of the gallery and viewing the art so in the end I closed the doors at 6pm and not at the earlier time as previously planned!
My forthcoming solo exhibition in Dublin!
"Nostalgia's Not What It Was"
Following on from his well received debut show, artist Pigsy now presents a new body of work "Nostalgia's Not What It Was", opening on Thursday 5th October at 6pm in Fumbally Exchange, Dame Lane, Dublin 2.
Ciarán McCoy is Pigsy. As Ciarán McCoy, he works as a partner in the renowned architectural practice ODKM Architect in Dublin City centre. As Pigsy, he releases himself from the disciplined nature of architecture to create free flowing expressionist art.
Pigsy started to create from a young age by using chalks on both the playground and the blackboards at school to pass the time between classes. He has added a multitude of painting media to his palette since then but still incorporates chalk use in most of his pieces as a nod to these formative methods.
Evolution of Childhood
This body of work is all about moving forward as a person and deals with he evolution of childhood friendships, old haunts and activities from childhood and the difficulties experienced throughout schooling because of his dyslexia.
“Nostalgia's Not What It Was", is an idea that I’ve been working on for a while" says Pigsy "I believe it's best to live in the moment and not give over too much space in our mind to useless non-positive thoughts that prevent us from seeing our true potential and this has been the inspiration behind the exhibition"
Curated by KEMP
The exhibition is curated by KEMP, the man behind the urban and street art themed the KEMP Gallery and an artist in his own right.
"I'm both excited and honoured to be working with Pigsy again" says KEMP. "I love the honesty in his painting. It's very accessible even though there's a depth and complexity to it, which is very rare. I'm looking forward to sharing these new pieces with the public"
Hope Beer
Drinks will be provided at this exhibition by Hope Beer, an independent craft brewery based in Howth Co. Dublin, who are fantastic supporters of art and artists.
The exhibition runs from the 5th to the 8th October 2017
Pigsy's Secret is out as new show opens!
The Irish Times reports on PIGSY’s second Solo Art Exhibtion
Great write up in The Irish Times today about my forthcoming art show which is opening in Fumbally Exchange on 5th of Oct at 6pm
“He may design glorious light-filled extensions, classy conversions and one-off dream pads by day, but he’s also got dual identity, as street artist, Pigsy.
Of course these days, the term “street art” defines a style, rather than implying he’s out there after dark daubing on walls so consider McCoy’s work in the vein of the type of street art shown in Dublin’s KEMP Gallery”
PIGSY Solo Exhibition: Hard copy invites hot off the presses!
PIGSY Art Exhibition Invites
As well as a soft copy invite for my forthcoming exhibition, I made the decision to print a batch of invites also. Old school, I know, but I do think people like to pick up and read info in hard copy format still.
Dublin Art Show - the second solo exhibition of PIGSY
"Nostalgia's not what it was" opens on 5th of October 2017 in The Fumbally Exchange in Dame Lane, Dublin 2 at 6-9pm.
Running for 4 days and curated by Kemp of The Kemp Gallery, my exhibition gives you the opportunity to view my work in different settings including a fun "Street Night" on Friday 6-9pm with a DJ and premium craft beers which are provided by Dublin based brewery Hope Beer.
Additionally the show will be open 10am - 9pm Thursday to Saturday and also Sunday 11am- 4pm, 5th to 8th of October 2017.
When: Thursday, 5th of October 6-9pm
Where: Fumbally Exchange, 5 Dame Lane, Dublin City
Email: pigsy.art@gmail.com
"Nostalgia's Not What It Was" Opening Night @ Fumbally Exchange 5th Oct 2017
PIGSY Solo Exhibition in Fumbally Exchange, Dublin City
“Nostalgia’s Not What it Was” by PIGSY
My solo exhibition "Nostalgia's not what it was" opens on 5th of October 2017 in The Fumbally Exchange in Dame Lane, Dublin 2 at 6-9pm.
Running for 4 days and curated by Kemp of The Kemp Gallery, my exhibition gives you the opportunity to view my work in different settings including a fun "Street Night" on Friday 6-9pm with a DJ and premium craft beers which are provided by Dublin based brewery Hope Beer.
Additionally the show will be open 10am - 9pm Thursday to Saturday and also Sunday 11am- 4pm, 5th to 8th of October 2017.
Email pigsy.art@gmail.com for further info or to get on the list for the opening party or street night.
When: Thursday, 5th of October 6-9pm
Where: Fumbally Exchange, 5 Dame Lane, Dublin City
Email: pigsy.art@gmail.com
See you there!
Upcoming exhibition in Gallery X
Group Show in Gallery X
The Cock & Pussy Manifesto
Currently I am working on my solo exhibition which opens in early October. My exhibition will consist of about 10 or 11 very large pieces.
If you can't wait til October to see my work you get the opportunity to see a small piece I painted that is part of a group exhibition that is opening in Gallery X on the 31st of August. See details of the exhibition here. Curated by Gallery owner Giovanni Guisti who explains that the art show “is meant as an attack on the shame that society makes us feel about what he believes are our most important bits” it features artworks by numerous artists of the male and female form.
PIGSY working on an artwork - creating a custom frame
The above pic is of me at work on the piece that I will be exhibiting. I am fabricating a custom frame for the artwork. The piece is a a take on Polaroid photos of a nude Jean-Michel Basquiat with me as the subject matter, go figure!
Gallery X is on 65 South William Street and the exhibition titled “The Cock & Pussy Manifesto” runs from 31st of Aug to the 22nd of September.
Here’s a picture of the exhibition - you can see the PIGSY painting on the wall behind Gallery Owner Giovanni Guisti. This PIGSY is the male nude to the right of the photo.
Lanes of Dublin - filming PIGSY short film
Feeling inspired - painting in the back lanes of Dublin
I have a fascination for lanes. I misspent my youth down lanes, kicking footballs and playing with my friends along with drawing in chalk on lane walls.
Now as an adult and an architect I am interested in what gets built down lanes. Mews houses are a big part of the Dublin architectural landscape and I am fortunate to be currently working on a project which is exploring the feasibility of a mews house on a particular lane way site.
This Friday I went back to my childhood, with film maker Mike Andrews, and set up a chalkboard in a Rathmines lane and got working. Mike is a documentary maker so at this point all I will say is "Watch this space".........
Lane way painting
I was in the mood to paint and being outside in a lane was inspiring. I painted and Mike filmed. He was pleased with his results and I was very happy too!
EDIT 2018 - To view the PIGSY film, click here
Blast from the Past "Dad's Dublin"
“Dad’s Dublin” by Pigsy
Here's a painting of mine that I did a few years ago. It's called "Dad's Dublin" and the story behind it is that my Dad gave me the canvas. He had used it to start a painting of Dublin. I painted over his Dublin with my Dublin (you can see Liberty Hall to the right) and then gave it back to him as a gift.
The artwork is now hanging in my parent’s home - “Dad’s Dublin” in my Dad’s house.
3 Generational Exhibition
3 Generational Art Exhibition - Cabra Library
A few months ago my father asked me for a few pieces for an exhibition he was holding. He had made arrangements to exhibit in his local public library in Cabra and wanted to include my work, his work and also his grandchild's (my niece) work.
It was literally a 3 generational exhibition with work by a father, son and granddaughter.
I wrote up a small biography to my father's specifications and during the exhibition this was circulated with further information about the three of us.
The exhibition went well. There was no official launch but there were lots of great comments in the visitors book.
If you are interested in my niece's work you can click here to view her youtube channel.
The Kemp Gallery @ Gallery X
Kemp & Gallery X
The KEMP Gallery has announced it's return and relocation to 65 South William Street, Dublin 2, in a space that will be shared with their new host - GalleryX.
GalleryX is a new player in Dublin's gallery scene, specialising in figurative and surrealist art, "so the potential synergy attained by working out of the same premises was impossible to refuse" explained curator Kemp.
The KEMP Gallery @ GalleryX intends to continue showcasing urban/street art to the Irish public and looks forward to the continued love and support of their sponsors, art fans, family and friends.
MAY Exhibition - The KEMP Gallery @ GalleryX will be kicking off the new arrangement on May 11th with a new exhibition by the much heralded Shane Sutton (www.shanesutton.com).
2017 Schedule - A further 3 exhibitions are planned for the calendar year, including brand new work from curator KEMP in late September.
This is very much a WATCH THIS SPACE situation and I for one am very excited to what comes of this new collaboration.
Good Luck to The Kemp Gallery @ Gallery X!
Peggy Guggenheim Art Collection Venice Italy
A visit to Peggy Guggenheim’s Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, Venice
Day one of our Venice trip was for Architecture while day two was for art.
We had an early breakfast and made our way to Palazzo Venier dei Leoni where Peggy Guggenheim lived and is now a museum.
There was a large queue when we arrived at 9.30am, even though the museum doesn't open until 10am. When it did open, it took a long time to process tickets and we got in at about 10.20am. The entrance fee is €15 and we paid an additional €7 for an audio tour.
Peggy Guggenheim: Art Collector, Supporter and Patron of Living Artists
Peggy Guggenheim is one of the most famous supporters and art collectors of modern art. She brought so many young artists to the attention of the world and without her support who knows what the art world would look like today. Samuel Beckett had told Peggy that one must support artists and it is best to buy paintings from living artists. Guggenheim certainly took this on board with one of her most famous painters that she collected being Jackson Pollock.
Guggenheim’s private collection is stunning and includes works by all of the modern 20th century art masters like Picasso, Mondrian, Kandinsky, Ernst, Chagar, Kli, Miró, Pollock, Brown Cousy, Dali, Magritte and Bacon
My blog musings won't do the collection any justice (it really is something you must go and see yourself) so to that end I give you this Jackson Pollock picture that I photographed in the Peggy Guggenheim museum.
Not only is this an incredible permant exhibition of art, the setting is fairly sensational too. It’s my number one must-visit attraction while you are visiting Venice.
Tips for visiting Peggy Guggenheim’s Palazzo Venier dei Leoni in Venice
Arrive early before the ticket line builds up (if you haven’t bought tickets online)
Probably best to buy tickets online from the official Peggy Guggenheim website when making a plan to visit
Buy the audio guide
Note the closing times, and make sure you give yourself at the very least 90 mins to 2 hours + to see everything before the museum closes
Plan your visit: check out the website to see what temporary exhibitions are on view and make sure you go see these aswell as the permanent exhibitions
Some of the rooms can be very busy so leave the backpack in the hotel
Nasher Sculpture Gardens are the area around the museum - make sure you have time to visit them too.
Prepare to be wowed!
Peggy Guggenheim Museum Location & contact details:
Palazzo Venier dei Leoni
Dorsoduro 701
I-30123 Venice
tel: +39 041 2405 411
e-mail: info@guggenheim-venice.it
Architectural Tour of Venice
To see more of my Venice travels, click my previous blog to read about the Venice Architectural tour that I did where I visited the works of Architect Carlo Scarpa
Architect by profession, artist by birth
The Architectural life of artist PIGSY
As an architect, one of my most enjoyable projects was when I designed my own house. This labour of love brought a derelict house back from ruins to a home fit for modern living.
To read about the renovation and see pictures of the house currently, click here here to read an article that was published on The Journal.
This is the Studio at the very top of the house - look at the amazing light that floods in!
Enid’s Blog
If you would like to see the state of the house when I acquired it, you can click in to my wife's blog here
Enid documented most of the build which you can read all about if you go to the oldest posts and start reading from there. There are some incredible pictures on her blog and you can also see how bad the house was and what a big project it was in order to restore it to its former glory!
A pint of plain is your only man - Guinness is good for you!
Painting a pint of Guinness: a bar challenge for PIGSY
A few years ago, myself and a friend were having a bar room chat about art. My friend said he didn't think what I paint is art. Of course I disagreed!
My friend then plonked his pint of Guinness on the bar and said that if I could paint his pint he would believe that what I do is art.
I love a challenge - so I took a picture of the pint and got to work.
Here are some pictures of the progress I made.
Of course, this was only a starting point and the finished product was a lot less literal when I put additional art work on the canvas around the pint of Guinness.
My next art piece about childhood friends.....
Childhood Friendships always stay true
Inspiration for PIGSY Art
The starting point for my process generally comes from something like an image, a line of a poem, a concept that intrigues me or maybe a conversation I've had that has sparked something in my mind.
My next piece will take inspiration from the below image which is a photograph of myself and my two childhood friends taken over 35 years ago.
Childhood Gang
We were a gang of 3 and we called ourselves "MBC" which was made up the first letter of each of our names.
That's me to the right with the green hat and the chubby cheeks.
The picture of the three of us somehow reminds me of this Warhol print of Elvis Presley. I think it might be because of our stance (which was a break dancing pose!). What do you think - can you see it too?
Finished PIGSY Piece (Edit 8/3.17):
Here's the finished art piece. It's titled "No Space for Nostalgia" (it was the centre piece in my second solo exhibition and the painting went on to sell on the first night of the show and is now in private collection)
Pigsy-Kemp Collaboration
Art Collaboration
PIGSY plus Kemp
Recently I collaborated with artist Kemp on a special piece. Kemp is a stencil artist so perhaps our creation is better described as a collision rather than a collaboration!!
Kemp's element is the stencil painting in the centre of the work. I glued his piece to an MDF board and then proceeded to paint on the board while drawing inspiration from Kemp’s painting "Salome with the head of John the Baptist".
The finished work is a fantastic juxtaposition of our two unique styles.
A unique Valentine's Gift for art lovers - a limited edition artwork print by Pigsy
Art! A unique Valentines gift for Art Lovers
St. Valentine's Day is nearly upon us. Pigsy artworks are available as limited edition prints, if you are looking for an alternative to the standard gift of a heart shaped box of chocolates.
If your true love is an art lover you can't go wrong with a Pigsyprints which are printed on Hannemuhle Fine Art Paper Mounted on Dibond with a bespoke Lime Washed Tray Frame custom designed by Pigsy and handcrafted in Ireland.
Contact me for further information about prints and original Pigsy works and add an art work that you LOVE to your collection!
Original art - framed paper studies
Or if you are looking for an original artwork, you can buy a framed paper study - see here to look at the full selection that is now available directly from me in my Dublin art studio
Art to whet the appetite! Big Art, perfect for a restaurant space......
Large Scale Art: “I Find You Fascinating” by PIGSY
Many of my pieces are large and perfect for hanging in a restaurant.
"I Find You Fascinating" is 2000mm x 1870mm. It was created using mixed media on canvas and it would be striking in any dining room.
Contact Ronan Campbell in Designyard Gallery for further information about this art work.
Do You Love Me?
Do I Love Me?
Do I Need To Salve My Ego To Create?
Do You Feel The Same Way I Do?