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  • Corps, Nigel Rolfe. Click to enlarge.

    Corps (1994, archive, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin), Nigel Rolfe

  • Nigel Rolfe

    Practice

  • The central contention of his practice remains that art making is a live engagement. He initially studied sculpture and used the term “Sculptures In Motion” to describe his work, which was material-led but across time. Later these direct material interventions became more produced and staged and in the 1980s were large-scale and multi-media.

    Underlying the work always are socio-political concerns of have and have-not and fault lines in the world. Since moving to Ireland in 1975 he has been involved in those issues directly and locally. His work with sound and audio production includes a number of recordings, which have widespread recognition, notably Lament which was released on RealWorld Records in 1992, described as, “A stunning piece of work… each track is a call to the spirits of life in the face of devastation.”

    He was among the first artists to use video and has considerable experience there. Hand On Face was shown world-wide and at the Concert To Release Nelson Mandela in 1988, Wembley Stadium, London.