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About Bart

Baltimore County
Biography
 
I was born in Dublin, Ireland and have lived in Maryland since 2003. I make interdisciplinary work that includes painting, drawing, poetry and video. I teach at The Maryland Institute College of Art and Harford Community College. I have shown work extensively in Baltimore, Washington DC. Philadelphia and New York as well as Ireland and Northern Ireland. I received my BFA from the National College of Art and Design in Dublin in 2000 and my MFA from MICA… more
View Bart's Resume
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Project Line 180 Interview with Renee Van Der Stelt

Conversation between Renee Van Der Stelt and Bart O'Reilly.
©Zoige Production 2016
  • Project Line180 Part 4
    Conversation between Renee Van Der Stelt and Bart O'Reilly. ©Zoige Production 2016
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    45. Studio Shot.jpg
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    • Imaginary Shed Videos

    As an artist I explore the gap between what we perceive and what we claim to know. Yet, a claim to truly know or understand seems at best arrogant and at worst extremely dangerous.
     
    An Imagined History of an Old Shed was made in the winter of 2013. The idea began with an interest in the site of an old shed near my house in White Marsh, Maryland. At the time I was reading Samuel Beckett’s trilogy of Novels, Molloy, Malone Dies and The Unnamable. In the second novel, Malone Dies, Beckett does not disclose the location of the story. Although, Malone describes his surroundings frequently he remains unsure of his exact whereabouts. I was very taken by the descriptions and began to imagine the novel was taking place inside this shed near my house. This openness in Beckett’s work inspired me to write my own poem. My thoughts of Malone began to interchange with similar situations and events in my own life, as at the time my mother was very ill back in Ireland. An Imagined History of an Old Shed is the first part of a trilogy. For this exhibition the text of the poem is included in the form of subtitles in Spanish and English.
     
    Parts II and III in this series, The History and Objects of an Imaginary Shed and Inside with the Objects of an Imaginary Shed, respectively, also play with the idea of place and how it informs my creative process.
     
    This series also deals with the natural process of mourning, which takes place after the death of a loved one. While it seems natural to seek meaning behind such life events, the desire to do so can limit or frustrate us. Our environment changes over time as we grow, age and get old, as do our faculties of perception. Our desire for consistency and clarity is thwarted by constant change. We live with an inability to reconcile the fact that we do not fully understand the true nature of the world around us.
     
    • An Imagined History of an Old Shed Part I
      An Imagined History of an Old Shed was made in the winter of 2013. The idea began with an interest in the site of an old shed near my house in White Marsh, Maryland. At the time I was reading Samuel Beckett’s trilogy of Novels, Molloy, Malone Dies and The Unnamable. In the second novel, Malone Dies, Beckett does not disclose the location of the story. Although, Malone describes his surroundings frequently he remains unsure of his exact whereabouts. I was very taken by the descriptions and began to imagine the novel was taking place inside this shed near my house. This openness in Beckett’s work inspired me to write my own poem. My thoughts of Malone began to interchange with similar situations and events in my own life, as at the time my mother was very ill back in Ireland. An Imagined History of an Old Shed is the first part of a trilogy. For this exhibition the text of the poem is included in the form of subtitles in Spanish and English.
    • The History and Objects of an Imaginary Shed
      Parts II and III in this series, The History and Objects of an Imaginary Shed and Inside with the Objects of an Imaginary Shed, respectively, also play with the idea of place and how it informs my creative process. This series also deals with the natural process of mourning, which takes place after the death of a loved one. While it seems natural to seek meaning behind such life events, the desire to do so can limit or frustrate us. Our environment changes over time as we grow, age and get old, as do our faculties of perception. Our desire for consistency and clarity is thwarted by constant change. We live with an inability to reconcile the fact that we do not fully understand the true nature of the world around us.
    • Inside with the Objects of an Imaginary Shed. Part III
      Parts II and III in this series, The History and Objects of an Imaginary Shed and Inside with the Objects of an Imaginary Shed, respectively, also play with the idea of place and how it informs my creative process. This series also deals with the natural process of mourning, which takes place after the death of a loved one. While it seems natural to seek meaning behind such life events, the desire to do so can limit or frustrate us. Our environment changes over time as we grow, age and get old, as do our faculties of perception. Our desire for consistency and clarity is thwarted by constant change. We live with an inability to reconcile the fact that we do not fully understand the true nature of the world around us.
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