BIOGRAPHY
Based in Co Clare, Ireland, Rachel works through drawing, painting and performance.
Rachel holds a Masters in Fine Art, Open College of the Arts (UCA) 2019 and a BA in Visual Communications, National College of Art and Design 1997
She has exhibited and performed nationally and internationally at Milford House Tipperary, Mart Gallery Dublin, 126 Artist Run Gallery (Galway), glór (Co Clare), Ps2 Studios (Belfast), Revision Festival (Belfast), FIX21 Catalyst Arts (Belfast), Die Kunstschaffenden Gallery, (Linz, Austria) and Musikhuset, (Gävle, Sweden).
Rachel has co-facilitated Creative Circles, a monthly meeting space for Clare based Creatives, since 2021. She is a founding member and Director of the Co. Clare based art collective Negative Space, who have painted over 40 public art works in Co Clare since 2022. In 2023 Rachel founded Here and Now; a performance art collective based in Co Clare, and commenced running workshops and events. Rachel currently co-facilitates p(art)y Here and Now- a monthly participatory performance art event in Ennis. Co Clare. Rachel is a member of Visual Artists Ireland, BBeyond Live, Interface Inagh and LiveArt Ireland.
Rachel contributed articles to Visual Artists Ireland Newsheet for Issue 3; May-June 2024 and Issue 4; July-August 2024. Rachel created, directed and produced the inaugural Here and Now Performance Art Festival, a one day festival of performance art which took place on 16th August 2024 at the CourthouseGallery, Ennistymon, Co Clare, Ireland. Rachel performs monthly with p(art)y Here and Now and is currently completing a series of public artworks with Negative Space in association with opener and Clare Arts.
Artists Statement
Rachel Macmanus Artist Statement
My practice mostly involves drawing, in different modalities, and performance art. Each of these informs the other.
My performative practice addresses themes around physical and mental endurance and repetitive actions and is strongly influenced by my previous life as a fitness professional.
I am interested in how we relate to our own bodies, how they serve us and what we perceive ourselves to be physically capable of. With this in mind, I use movement as a way to experience extremes, from endorphin based joy to exhaustion induced pain. I have a phobia of losing my hard won strength and also of wasting time- so I make lists of jobs each day to be done and workouts to be completed. This has bled into my practice, my performative actions serve as a mechanism to spend the time ‘usefully’. The idea of ‘usefulness’ is rooted in social context and is also interrogated in the work.
My body is my tool- for as long as I have one I will use it to push, pull and keep going making work. The endurance mindset that my years of physical training have afforded me is what really colours my work.
My drawing practice is currently informing the site specific public artworks I started painting through the Art Collective I founded in 2022 on walls and electrical cabinet boxes in County Clare. My goal with these works is to create pieces in unassuming places that can be encountered and interacted with by the public, in a hopefully positive way.
Curriculum Vitae
Email: rackmack@gmail.com
Website: https://rachelmacmanus.art/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rackmac/
Negative Space Collective Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/negative.space.op/
Drawing Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anmucdubh/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rach.mac.581/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJv0EKwjWuMCJzJyEy_fhBA
Education
Masters in Fine Art, Open College of the Arts (UCA) 2019
BA in Visual Communications, National College of Art and Design 1997
Selected Performance Works and Events
February 3rd 2024 to date
p(art)y Here and Now (monthly participatory live performance event) various locations Co Clare
16-18th August
Catching Dusk. Deutschvilla Strobl, Austria. Group show featuring the performance Dusk
August 16th
Here and Now Performance Art Festival. Created, directed and produced this one day performance festival. Courthouse Gallery, Ennistymon, Co Clare.
July 17 – 24
La Pocha Nostra Vest and Page Alumni Summit. A weeklong intensive performance art workshop lead by the internationally renowned performance collectives La Pocha Nostra and Vest and Page.
May 25th
Ringfenced, Live performance and exhibition of paintings for Mountshannon Arts Festival, The Old Schoolhouse, Scarriff Co Clare
May 16th 2024
Cerberus, live performance with Deej Fabyc and Olivia Hassett, Live Art Ireland, Tipperary
February 4th 2024
Becoming Tree Workshop and Live Performance, Live Art Ireland, Tipperary
October 27 2023
Here and Now Performance Event, glór, Ennis
September 22 2023
HUNG, Culture Night- Live Art Ireland. Milford House, Tipperary
August 30 2023
Together Elsewhere Performance Art Bergen online Performance event
August 25-26 2023
Bbeyond Live Intensive Residency with Sandra Johnston, Portadown, NI
April 11-14
La Pocha Nostra Workshop Intensive, Live Art Ireland, Milford House, Tipperary
March 4 2023
‘Eat Your Words‘ an interactive performance for Ennis Book Club Festival, held in glór, Ennis Co Clare
November 28 2022
‘Dusk’ durational performance, Wolfgangsee Lake, St Gilgen, Austria
November 26 2022
‘RUB’, performance for Re-Vision Festival, Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast
October 2022 2022
BBeyond Monthly Performance, Earth Rising Festival, IMMA
September 18 2022
Suspension performance for Interruption, Livestock Live, MART Gallery, Dublin
March 26 2022
Pack/Unpack Performance for Second Collective/ Imagine Belfast, Vault Art Studios, Belfast
February 12 2022
Nobody Home Performance for Ad Spatium Art Event/ Musikhuset, Gävle, Sweden
November 28 2021
‘Going on a bit’. Performance for Re-Vision Festival, Flax Art Project Studios, Belfast
October 16
Chop Chop Performance for FIX21 Performance Art Festival, Catalyst Arts, Belfast
April 23 – May 31 2021
Daily Affirmations Reveal Group Show, (Online) THIS_ Gallery
January 15 2021
Dancing at the quarry R-A-W BBeyondLive Group Show (Online)
December 1 2020
Aon, Dó (performance to camera) Vanishing Group Show, (Online) THIS_ Gallery
September 26 2020.
Working Through Feelings Performance for Revision Performing Arts Festival, Belfast
March – June 2020
I Need To Be Ready Self initiated durational performance art series
Tasks 1-5: Burren National Park, Co Clare, 27/03/2020:
Tasks 6-10: Our Lady’s Hospital, Ennis, 30/04/2020
Tasks 11-15: Ballybeg Woods, Ennis, 19/06/2020
30 January 2020
EVIL Collective live performance, Tactic Gallery, Plug’d, Cork
16 December 2019
Pack, Unpack Live 4 hour Public Performance Shannon Airport, Shannon, Co Clare
05 October 2019
Night Crawl Live Durational Public Performance, Ennis, Co Clare
26 September 2019
Evil Collective live performance, Pharmacia Bar, Limerick
Facilitatory/Workshops/Talks
May 2024
Illustration workshops, Broadford Kilbane National School
July to August 2023
Here and Now Performance Workshops, glór, Ennis, Co Clare
November 27-28 2022
Performance Workshops, St Gilgen International School, St Gilgen, Austria
23 Sep – 9 December2022
Friday Arts Club Co-facilitator Weekly meeting group for older creative people
March 7 2021 to date
Creative Circles Co-facilitator. Meeting platform for Clare based creatives, glór, Ennis.
March 12 – 02 April
Observational Drawing as a Visual Language Online drawing workshops for DLR Lexicon
July 01- 29
Workshop Co-facilitator Limerick Youth Services Burren Outdoor Centre, Co Clare
01 November 2019
First Friday Artists Talk glór, Ennis, Co Clare
Visual
24 September
Negative Space Peace Mural– for Clare People against Genocide, Moran’s Carpark, Ennis. Co Clare
20/22 September
Trasnú- The Art of Motherhood Group Show, Courthouse Gallery, Ennistymon, Co Clare
November to date
Community Shapers Portrait Project by Negative Space
12 portraits painted on Electrical boxes, Ennis, Co Clare in assoc with Clare Arts Office and Clare County Council.
4 -8 August 2023
Neart- The Art of Motherhood Group Show, The Old Schoolhouse, Scarrif, Co Clare
August 2022 to date
Negative Space public art program
July 1 – 17 2022
Stretched- The Art of Motherhood Group Show, People’s Museum, Limerick
March 16 – May 17 2022
On the 35th of May, one has to be prepared for anything Group Show, glór, Co Clare
February 22 – 31 March 2022
Ogham 3 Artist Residency, Show and live performance, Catalyst Arts, Belfast, UK
November 25 – Jan 15 2021/22
Co Project Manager and Creator Hidden Truths- Behind Closed Doors
Multi Media Installation for Clare Haven Domestic Violence Services
November 05 – Jan 08 2021/22
Eggs & Butter 3 Artist Show curated by Moran Been Noon, Glór, Co Clare, Ireland
March 02-20 2021
Line of Thought Drawing Show. 2 Artist Show, PS² Belfast, UK
October 15- 25 2020.
Business as Usual Group Show, Making Space, Bow Street Mall, Lisburn
October 6 – 28 2020.
In Dialogue With The Unknown. Group show, Die Kunstschaffenden Gallery, Linz, Austria
Sep 1- Oct 3
Lockdown Through A Young Lens Curator; Lockdown Through A Young Lens, glór, Ennis
July/August 2020
Digital Drawing Collaborative Project (self-initiated online participatory drawing project)
23 March 2020
Clare Kids Art Competition Creator and manager Primary School Art Competition
10-24 January 2020
Mind Breath Beat (a 3 artist collaborative show) 126 Artist Run Gallery, Co Galway
28/29 Sep 2019
FIX19 members Film Program (3 film works screened) Catalyst Art, Belfast, UK
20 September 2019
Culture Night Film screening [2 film works screened) glór, Ennis, Co Clare, Ireland.
25/26th June 2019
The Circle of Life (Collaborative Multi Media Project) glór, Ennis, Co Clare
15 – 29 June 2019
Duodecimal OCA MA Degree Show, The Civic, Barnsley, UK
Residencies/ Collectives/ Funding
July 2024- Clare Local Area Grants Scheme/CupPrint Ireland/GoFundMe (funding for Here and Now Performance Art Festival)
July 2024- Arts Participation Award, Clare Arts Office
October – Dec 2023- Grass and Soil Residency, Live Art Ireland, Milford House, Tipperary.
July August 2023- Artist Carer Residency with Paragon Studios, Belfast
May 2022 Clare-based artist-mother collective member
Jan 2022 Negative Space Collective founding member
August 2023 PRISM Street Art Award (Negative Space Collective)
July 2022 PRISM Street Art Award (Negative Space Collective)
November 2021 Agility Award Round 3
February 2020 Creative Ireland Funding
February 2019 Creative Ireland Funding
Schools
Jan – Feb 2024
Performance art workshops x 4- Connolly National School, Connolly, Co Clare
Jan May 2023
BLAST Scheme Self Portrait Project, 6th Class, ClareCastle National School, Clarecastle, Co Clare
Jan – May 2023
BLAST Scheme Mural project, St Annes School Ennis
Jan – May 2023
BLAST Scheme Mural project, Scoil Chriost Rí, ENnis
Nov 2021 – May 2022
Artist in Schools Scheme- Mural project St Annes School, Ennis
February – May 2022
BLAST Scheme- Mural Project Clonmoney, Newmarket On Fergus
February – April 2022
BLAST Scheme- Sensory Project St Senan’s National School, Shannon
February – May 2022
TAP Scheme – Portraiture Project Scoil Chriost Rí National school, Ennis
July 01-05 2021
TAP Online Course Teacher Artist Partnership Training Certification
March – June 30 2021
Artist in Schools Scheme Pen Pal Life Exchange Project Knockanean National School and St Joseph’s Hospital, Co Clare
Writing:
On Rejection. VAI Newsheet. Issue 3, May – June 2024
Media:
Member Profile- Do It Yourself. VAI Newsheet Issue 4 July – August 2004
On Rejection- Article. VAI Newsheet Issue 3 May – June 2004
Video documentary on Negative space urban art works 2022
Article on Negative Space collective 2022
https://clarechampion.ie/ennis-artists-bring-spark-of-creativity-with-negative-spaces/
Interview by Rachel Botha for Ogham, Catalyst Arts, March 2022
https://www.catalystarts.org.uk/ogham-1
VAI Newsheet Review of FIX21 by Frank Wasser
VAI Newsheet Issue 1 January February 2022 p18: An Example of Something Inside Out- Frank Wasser reports on FIX21 as both a performer and observer
Essay on Re-Vision 2021 by Michaela Nash
https://michaelanash.com/Art-Writing-Texts-2022
Irish Arts Review Review of Eggs & Butter 2021
Irish Arts Review, Edition 4 (October to December 2021) Eggs & Butter review
Article on Hidden Truths Installation 2022
https://clarechampion.ie/artists-combine-to-reveal-hidden-truths-of-domestic-violence/
Blog on Conversations With Myself by Annie Macmanus
https://www.anniemacmanus.com/articles/conversations-with-myself
Bronagh Lawson on line of Thought, Belfast Media 2021
Critical Moss — Art beyond the Bubble, Aldo Branti, 2019
https://issuu.com/aldobrantifosco-fornio/docs/cm_60pp_composite
Article on Living Portraits, Arts and Health 2019
http://www.artsandhealth.ie/2019/05/05/living-portraits-by-rachel-macmanus/
MA Degree Show review 2019
https://www.oca.ac.uk/weareoca/fine-art/reflecting-on-duodecimal
