Over the past year Joe Mahoney has been working for An Lanntair as a digital artist-in-residence at the Grianan day-care centre in Stornoway. The post has been funded under the Scottish Arts Council’s Partners Scheme.
His clients, who often have learning difficulties or other issues, have been helped and encouraged to explore ideas and produce their own art workusing video, audio, animation, photography and computers.
The exhibition at An Lanntair marks the culmination of a years work and it ranges vastly in content and approach. Several video pieces will be projectedin the gallery on a variety of subjects from recollections of a person’s life to slap-stick Tom and Jerry style cartoons. Some members of the group have produced comic books while others have created intense photographic montages. The exhibition charts a journey that the group has travelled over the year, a journey it is hoped that they will continue into the future.
Director Roddy Murray says “This has been a key project under our Education and Outreach programme. It’s wonderful to see what can be achieved when people are given the opportunities and the tools to realise their ideas.”