Image
bronze statue of a child stood on a small desk, that looks like its stood on a old fashioned hand mirror
Image: Sheila Gaffney, ‘Mum said you should always brush your hair’, 2015, bronze, 29 x 17 x 13 cm, image: © Jerry Hardman-Jones
Sat 7 Sep 2024 - Fri 10 Jan 2025
Sheila Gaffney: Embodied Dreaming
Exhibitions
Visual Art
Event organiser:
Leeds Arts University

Blenheim Walk Gallery is pleased to present Sheila Gaffney’s exhibition 'Embodied Dreaming'. Representative of her entire oeuvre, the exhibition, brings together for the first time a number of sculptures, drawings, video installation and image works, lightboxes, as well as unseen process-based models, and research material, highlighting the importance of process in her practice. The title of the exhibition is inspired by her doctoral thesis titled 'Embodied Dreaming' as a Sculptural Practice. In the process of theorising her own practice of making, she turns to object relations theory, more particularly British psychoanalyst Christopher Bollas’ notion of ‘embodied dreaming’ as integral to the process of embodiment, namely the construction of the self.

Sheila Gaffney is a sculptor whose work is known for its intricate blend of contemporary themes and craftsmanship. For four decades, Gaffney has developed a diverse body of work encompassing various forms—sculpture, mixed media and site-specific installations, drawing, photography—demonstrating her versatility and profound engagement with materiality and form. The materiality of the work is central to Gaffney’s artistic practice. She is deeply invested in the physical properties of her materials and the processes involved in working with them. This hands-on approach allows her to engage with her art on a tactile level, creating pieces that are as much about the process of making as they are about the finished product. Central themes in Gaffney’s work are issues of identity formation, class, gender, memory and multigenerational ethnicity, constantly intersecting with research-practices of sculptural making. She frequently delves into the concept of memory, using her art to render fleeting moments and ephemeral experiences. This focus on the transient nature of life is evident in her choice of materials and techniques, which often involve processes of decay, transformation, and regeneration.

As a feminist artist, Gaffney’s work engages with sculptural forms, feminist theories of life-writing and psychoanalytic aesthetics, exploring their interconnections through sculpture, drawing, and scholarly writing. The Girl—a deep and persistent fascination in her artistic practice—appears in multiple works as a psychoanalytic motif, which uncovers unconscious processes and gains insight into underlying psychological conflicts, desires, and emotional states. Her interest in research focuses on navigating the complexity of sculptural making. She is deeply intrigued by the processes that drive creativity, and develops mechanisms which aim to balance the conscious and the subconscious, memory and reality, tradition and innovation, theory and practice. She recognizes that, having found solutions, she continually poses new questions that emerge from the practice itself, evolving a sculptural language that is intimate and delicate, yet powerful and resilient. For Gaffney research-practice methods are both outward and inward-looking, often reflecting a keen interest in how art can embody and articulate complex social experiences and ideas. Her practice is marked by an ongoing dialogue between the act of making and theoretical inquiry, resulting in a body of work that is both materially rich and conceptually dynamic.

In addition to her sculptural practice, Gaffney is also a dedicated educator, sharing her knowledge and passion for fine art with students and emerging artists. Her teaching is an extension of her practice, fostering a deeper understanding of the artistic process. Gaffney’s legacy lies in her ability to bridge the gap between tradition and innovation, creating art that is rooted in histories but speaks to contemporary issues and experiences. Her work is a testament to the enduring power of craft and the importance of maintaining a connection to the past while forging new paths in the present. Through her art and teaching, she continues to inspire and influence the next generation of artists, ensuring that her legacy will endure for years to come.

    Date
    Sat 7 Sep 2024 - Fri 10 Jan 2025
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    Tue 8 Oct 2024
    10:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Wed 9 Oct 2024
    10:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Thu 10 Oct 2024
    10:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Fri 11 Oct 2024
    10:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Sat 12 Oct 2024
    10:00 am - 4:00 pm
    Mon 14 Oct 2024
    10:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Tue 15 Oct 2024
    10:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Wed 16 Oct 2024
    10:00 am - 6:00 pm
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    10:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Fri 18 Oct 2024
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    Sat 19 Oct 2024
    10:00 am - 4:00 pm
    Mon 21 Oct 2024
    10:00 am - 6:00 pm
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    Fri 25 Oct 2024
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    Sat 26 Oct 2024
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    Mon 28 Oct 2024
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    Sat 16 Nov 2024
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    Mon 18 Nov 2024
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    Tue 19 Nov 2024
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    Wed 20 Nov 2024
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    Sat 23 Nov 2024
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    Mon 25 Nov 2024
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    10:00 am - 6:00 pm
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    10:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Thu 28 Nov 2024
    10:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Fri 29 Nov 2024
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    Sat 30 Nov 2024
    10:00 am - 4:00 pm
    Mon 2 Dec 2024
    10:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Tue 3 Dec 2024
    10:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Wed 4 Dec 2024
    10:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Thu 5 Dec 2024
    10:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Fri 6 Dec 2024
    10:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Sat 7 Dec 2024
    10:00 am - 4:00 pm
    Mon 9 Dec 2024
    10:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Tue 10 Dec 2024
    10:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Wed 11 Dec 2024
    10:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Thu 12 Dec 2024
    10:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Fri 13 Dec 2024
    10:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Sat 14 Dec 2024
    10:00 am - 4:00 pm
    Mon 16 Dec 2024
    10:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Tue 17 Dec 2024
    10:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Wed 18 Dec 2024
    10:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Thu 19 Dec 2024
    10:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Fri 20 Dec 2024
    10:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Sat 21 Dec 2024
    10:00 am - 4:00 pm
    Mon 23 Dec 2024
    10:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Tue 24 Dec 2024
    10:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Wed 25 Dec 2024
    10:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Thu 26 Dec 2024
    10:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Fri 27 Dec 2024
    10:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Sat 28 Dec 2024
    10:00 am - 4:00 pm
    Mon 30 Dec 2024
    10:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Tue 31 Dec 2024
    10:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Wed 1 Jan 2025
    10:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Thu 2 Jan 2025
    10:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Fri 3 Jan 2025
    10:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Sat 4 Jan 2025
    10:00 am - 4:00 pm
    Mon 6 Jan 2025
    10:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Tue 7 Jan 2025
    10:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Wed 8 Jan 2025
    10:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Thu 9 Jan 2025
    10:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Fri 10 Jan 2025
    10:00 am - 6:00 pm

    Ticket price

    Free
    Preview: 3 October 2024 5:00pm-7:00pm

    Location: Leeds Arts University, Blenheim Walk, Leeds LS2 9AQ

    Accessibility
    Buggy friendly
    Wheelchair access

    Leeds Arts University

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