Eric Aho Vermont, USA, b. 1966

To paint the landscape in Ireland is, in itself, a statement about the relentless course of nature, the fleetingness of all life, and the ephemeral nature of artistic ambition. At Ballinglen, I became interested in a painting that echoes the simultaneous decay and regeneration of nature. To me, nothing represents this more clearly than the curtains of weather lashing the North Mayo coast, passing over ancient remains and new construction, then clearing, then lashing out again. It’s like being inside nature’s process—the endless cycle of destruction and creation. And in the contrasts of delicate and brutal realities, the feeling of nature has a human feeling only amplified when walking back to the studio with a farmer friend whose field I’ve shared and who understands the nuance of this exchange best.         - Eric Aho