BIOGRAPHY
Based in Co Clare, Ireland, Rachel works through drawing and performance. Her drawing takes the form of a community based collaborative practice, which allows an ongoing exploration into the cultural and social nuances of her surroundings. Her performance practice employs endurance based tasks and repetitive action as a way to experience how it feels to be present in a space.
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 including at IMMA, 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).
Recent projects include RUB- a live performance for Re-Vision Festival, Belfast, and Dusk, a durational live performance on the shores of Lake Wolfgang, St Gilgen, Austria. Rachel co facilitates Creative Circles, a monthly meeting space for Clare based Creatives, and co facilitated The Friday Arts Club a pilot funded by Creative Ireland to encourage older people interested in the arts to meet. As a founding member of the Co. Clare based collective The Negative Space, she is currently painting a series of public art works in Ennis Co Clare under the PRISM public art scheme.
Artists Statement
Rachel Macmanus- Curriculum Vitae
Address: Ballaghboy, Doora, Co Clare V95A0Y6
Email: rackmack@gmail.com
Website: https://rachelmacmanus.art/
Personal 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
Phone: 0877838676
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
March 4 2023 Eat Your Words Ennis Book Club Festival, glór, Ennis Co Clare
November 28 ‘22 Dusk durational performance, Wolfgangsee Lake, St Gilgen, Austria
November 26 ‘22 RUB, performance for Re-Vision Festival, Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast
October 2022 ‘22 BBeyond Monthly Performance, Earth Rising Festival, IMMA
September 18 ‘22 Interruption, Livestock Live, MART Gallery, Dublin
31 March ‘22 This is not the end Closing night, Ogham Residency, Catalyst Arts, Belfast
March 26 ‘22 Pack/Unpack Second Collective/ Imagine Belfast, Vault Art Studios, Belfast
February 12 ‘22 Nobody Home Ad Spatium Art Event/ Musikhuset, Gävle, Sweden
November 28 ‘21 Going on a bit. Re-Vision Festival, Flax Art Project Studios, Belfast
October 16 ‘21 Chop Chop FIX21 Performance Art Festival, Catalyst Arts, Belfast
April 23-May 31 ’21 Daily Affirmations Reveal Group Online Show, THIS_ Gallery
January 15 2021 Dancing at the quarry R-A-W BBeyond Live Group Show (Online)
September 26 ‘20 Working Through Feelings Revision Performing Arts Festival, Belfast
March – June ‘20 I Need To Be Ready Durational performance art series of 15 actions made in Co Clare during Covid Lockdown in Burren National Park, Co Clare, Our Lady’s Hospital, Ennis and Ballybeg Woods, Ennis
16 December 2019 Pack, Unpack Public Performance Shannon Airport/Shannon/Co Clare
05 October 2019 Night Crawl Live Durational Public Performance, Ennis, Co Clare
Facilitatory/Workshops/Talks
November 27-28 ‘22 Performance Workshops, St Gilgen International School, St Gilgen, Austria
23 Sep – 9 December ‘22 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
01 November 2019 First Friday Artists Talk glór, Ennis, Co Clare
Shows
August ‘22 to date Negative Space Collective Urban Art projects
July 1 – 17 ‘22 Stretched- The Art of Motherhood
Clare Mother Artist Collective Group Show/ People’s Museum/Limerick
March 16- May 17 On the 35th of May, one has to be prepared for anything
Group Show/glór/Co Clare
Feb 22- 31 March Ogham Residency, Show and performance, Catalyst Arts/ Belfast/UK
Nov 25 – Jan 15 ’21 Co Project Manager and Creator Hidden Truths- Behind Closed Doors
Multi Media Installation for Clare Haven Domestic Violence Services
Nov 05 – Jan 08 ’21 Eggs & Butter 3 Artist Show/ glór/Co Clare
March 02-20 ‘21 Line of Thought 2 Artist drawing Show, PS² Belfast, UK
Oct 15- 25 ’20 Business as Usual Group Show, Making Space, Bow Street Mall, Lisburn
Oct 6 – 28 ‘20. In Dialogue With The Unknown. Group show, Die Kunstschaffenden Gallery, Linz, Austria
Sep 1- Oct 3 ‘20 Lockdown Through A Young Lens Curator; Lockdown Through A Young Lens, glór, Ennis
Residencies/ Collectives/ Funding
March 2023 Creative Ireland Funding
May 2022 Clare-based artist-mother collective member
Jan 2022 Negative Space Collective founding member
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
Media
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/
Essay on Re-Vision 2021 by Michaela Nash
https://michaelanash.com/Art-Writing-Texts-2022
Article on Hidden Truths Installation 2022
https://clarechampion.ie/artists-combine-to-reveal-hidden-truths-of-domestic-violence/
blog/ Annie Macmanus 2021
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
Rachel Macmanus Artist Statement
My practice mostly involves drawing, in different guises, and performance art. Each of these informs the other.
My performative practice addresses themes around physical and mental endurance and repetitive actions and is influenced by my previous life as a fitness professional. During my 14 years in the fitness industry I instructed classes and lifted weights professionally. Now I apply a methodology of using physical action as an anecdote for anxiety.
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. Being middle aged colours my performance work also, as 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. My years of physical training are somewhat outwardly evidential but the endurance mindset it has afforded me is what really colours my work.
My drawing practice is currently informing the public artworks I’ve painted here in Co Clare, on walls and electrical cabinet boxes. When people feedback to me about having encountered my work unexpectedly in a public space it gives me great joy.
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
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
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
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
Schools
Nov 2021 – May 2022
Clare Arts 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
Clare Arts Artist in Schools Scheme Pen Pal Life Exchange Project
Knockanean National School and St Joseph’s Hospital, Co Clare
Residencies/ Collectives/ Funding
May 2022 Clare-based artist-mother collective member
Jan 2022 Negative Space Collective founding member
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
Media:
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
