Peter Gallo at Douglas Hyde Gallery – review

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Currently on display in Gallery 1 of the Douglas Hyde is a selection of work by Vermont born artist Peter Gallo. Recurring throughout the gallery’s exhibition programme this year is an emphasis on economy and austerity in both means and materials, and such a theme is clearly evidenced in Gallo’s work. Found pieces of wood replace canvas for the most part, whilst an appropriated table tennis bat, and what seems to have once been the deck of a longboard, serve as vehicles for the artist’s work in other instances. In his approach to these panels there is a naivety and unsophistication; paint appears roughly and hastily applied. Where works involve text, the script seems to move in and out of legibility as one reads it.

This lack of clarity seems to, inadvertently or not, be an overarching message behind Gallo’s work here. At times it manifests itself discernibly in feelings of unease, longing and searching to which everyone can relate. No doubt, these pieces are emotional and highly personal but the vulnerability behind them seems to jar with their formal appearance, creating a sense of ambiguity if not disconnectedness. This risks leaving the viewer themselves yearning for something slightly more crystalline.

Peter Gallo runs until December 3 at the Douglas Hyde Gallery.

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