About a Girl

new photographic and mixed-media works by Maire Smith, Grant Buist, and Rachel Woolford, with Kirsty O'Dowd
Works by Maire Smith Maire Smith is from Wellington. About a Girl is her first public exhibition, although she has sold works privately in the past. Her previous works have tended to focus either (like these) on semi-mythological portraiture or on mythologised landscapes. I like to explore form, character, and archetype. Working with established symbols (such as the corvids associated with traditional war gods) gives me the ability to imbue my images with connotations that speak on more than one level. I have worked with oil on canvas for about ten years, and I am very excited by the way new technologies allow me to combine oil painting with photography to create artworks with aspects of both media.
Puzzle	Icescape	Ravens	Odalisque	Incorruptible
Lace	Queen of hearts	Silver and gold	Necklace	Web
Works by Maire Smith with Kirsty O'Dowd Maire Smith and Wellington photographer Kirsty O'Dowd were introduced by Rhiannon, the model featured in this exhibition. All three women discussed possible themes, then Maire painted Rhiannon to reflect the intended themes, and Kirsty photographed Rhiannon interacting with her surroundings. In some cases, Maire then worked further on the images with oil paints. Inspirations included the story of Pygmalion and the traditional associations of cherry blossom as a symbol of feminine power as well as sexuality.
Petals	Marble	Glow	Rock	Contained
	Catharsis		Faulting
All images on this site are copyright © Maire Smith, Grant Buist, Rachel Woolford, and Kirsty O'Dowd 2005. All rights are reserved. For all enquiries, email the site administrator.