I spoke with Austin Hearne about a wide variety of his work and practice during what was a very active 2020 and 2021.
We began by discussing his film Whispers, the role of Flaneur in his approach to seeing, gathering, and creating, through the viewpoint of smartphone, lo fi editorial choices, enmeshed in a series of vignettes.
Austin spoke about his work with Glenn McQuaid in Satin Shadow, a two-piece Goth, coldwave band, their visual and audio motifs, creating an album, and of their performance at The Complex.Later in the chat we revisited some of Austin's most recent shows including Slabs, at The Complex, and Love Letters to Cardinal Raymo, at Periphery Space, and of the experience of creating and disassembling for these shows as well as his work with collective Child Naming Ceremony.
Austin very generously spoke about his upcoming work in 2022, and how he sees his practice developing towards this.
Artist statement:
I am a multi-disciplinary artist. Photography, painting and installation have been at the heart of my practice now for some time. Coming from a family of painters and decorators the stuff of this industry melds with photographic material to make intricate ephemeral wallpapers, furniture pieces and mise-en-scéne that serve as backdrops for staged surreal narratives. My oeuvre has expanded lately to include music making, zine production, moving image and performance. It is important to me that I approach every project with an openness, to push whatever medium I am working in, to take risks in the name of progression.
My work is concerned with Irelands occupation by the Catholic Church and in particular its effects on my past and present life as a queer person. I use my position to comment with snarling, snarky satire over an institution that has floated like a spectre over a population and who still seek to govern lives, loves and bodies.
Links to works discussed:
Whispers, film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZF-vPQMUoo&t=827s
Satin Shadow, live at The Complex https://vimeo.com/552384114
Slabs, The Complex https://www.thecomplex.ie/slabs
Love letters to Cardinal Raymo, and interview with James Merrigan
https://periphery.space/exhibitions/2021/7/8/austin-hearne-cardinal-raymo
Child Naming Ceremony https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oXw2xn5v7Y&t=302s
Artist website http://www.bishopaustinhearne.com/
Social Media
Instagram @austinhearne
Twitter @austin_hearne
