Line is the familiar element in any work I make. Whether I am drawing,
carving a wood panel, or manipulating wire with a pliers; it is this linear dynamic that fascinates me the most.
Materials are another important aspect of the making process. I am attracted to tactile qualities in materials. My background in printmaking carries into the sculptural aspects of my work. In the wire works there is the physical wire line and, like a print, a secondary shadow line is cast onto the wall. The wire has a simple industrial quality that becomes fluid and organic when shaped into three dimensional forms.
The content of these pieces is a continuation of my exploration of order and chaos. The scaffolding effect in some of the forms seems architectural and controlled, at the same time there is spontaneity in how things are arranged on the wall and composed within a given boundary of a form. I enjoy the process of balancing the tension in each new arrangement.
Rich in line, texture and symbols, Gilhooly’s work references a personal vocabulary of botanical forms, patterns and invented abstractions. She’s intrigued by both the complex and the simple nature of plant forms and finding connections with mechanical structures. Gilhooly states, “There are dualities at play in the work I create. One is a balance between order and chaos, trying to keep a piece fluid and organic, but still make some sense of it by having just enough structure. It’s like a dance that can quickly get out of hand if you let it. And like dancing, sometimes the beat keeps you moving, but you really should stop! Wire tends to have a mind of it’s own. “
Another consideration, for Gilhooly, is between the line and the form. Her background as a printmaker has given her an intuitive sense for line. “The wire allows me a way to draw three-dimensionally. I work with a needle nose pliers and form each piece by hand. To me it‘s similar to carving a line or engraving a line, because of the tooling that is involved,” she explains. The forms evolve as they are constructed. There is also a secondary line ‘drawn’ on the wall as a cast shadow which changes depending on the source of light. Gilhooly remarks, “The shadows are an exciting part of the finished wire pieces. It brings the process full circle, or perhaps it is really backwards because artists usually do two-dimensional drawings and then execute the sculpture from the sketch. I draw in three dimensions with wire and the shadows that are cast from the sculptural wire become the ‘sketch’ on the wall. Either way I love the unexpected surprise when installed.”
PAINTING
Rich in color, texture and symbols, Gilhooly’s work references a personal vocabulary of botanical forms, patterns and invented abstractions. She is intrigued by both the complex and the simple nature of plant forms and finding connections with mechanical structures.
In her latest work, Gilhooly is exploring concepts of time and place. Diagrams of complex pie charts carved into the wood surface, layers of patterned motifs, systematic webs connecting random nodes, and patterns layered in landscapes are some of the imagery depicted.
She continues to be fascinated with the visual representation of abstract ideas and exploring the invented systems used to envision information.
GILHOOLY'S interest is in the process of making objects that have rich, active surfaces, which springs from her background as a printmaker. She often finds herself treating her materials with a similar emphasis on line and surface, satisfying her constant need to draw, carve, etch, engrave, paint, tool, scratch, stitch and print lines.
Gilhooly’s technique consists of layering paint and carving into areas and then subtracting to reveal elements from previous layers. This technique not only contributes to the depth and texture of the surface, but also captures the effect of the underlying history of the painting.
