ICON by ATIM presents DES KILFEATHER

“Exploring New Dimensions in Contemporary Art”

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Des Kilfeather

“Exploring New Dimensions in Contemporary Art”

By Viviana Puello

Des Kilfeather is a prominent figure in contemporary art, known for his visionary approach to visual storytelling. His work combines history, critique, and innovation to capture attention and encourage reflection. Each piece is layered with intricate symbolism and depth, creating a rich tapestry of meaning.

Kilfeather’s artistic ventures traverse beyond the conventional boundaries of medium and message. Each piece serves as a window into a conversation, with figures and forms dancing in a realm that collapses time and space, inviting the beholder into a shared experience of contemplation and discovery. It’s a testament to Kilfeather’s mastery that the observer becomes an active participant, engaged in the unraveling of the visual enigma that is his art.

The emotional impact of Kilfeather’s compositions is undeniable. His works often showcase a deep understanding of social and political environments, giving voice to those who are frequently overlooked and highlighting stories that are not usually told. Through his brushstrokes, Kilfeather weaves together historical and contemporary themes, creating a canvas that is more than just a surface but rather a living testimony that captures the essence of different eras.

The works of this visionary artist are not only meant to

be seen but experienced. Each creation has a journey, a narrative that unfolds in colors and textures that speak of humanity’s trials and triumphs. The layers of his art are not only about the past but also a guide to the future, making Kilfeather not only an artist but also a seer of times.

This picture was taken during the Des 2016 solo exhibition at the Arundel Museum. This exhibition, private view funded by the London Embassy of Ireland, commemorated the 100th year since the 1916 Dublin Easter Rising.

The pieces on display are an invitation, an open door to a gallery of thoughts, feelings, and revelations. Stepping into Kilfeather’s world is an opportunity to be moved, challenged, and ultimately transformed. It is a call to explore beyond what meets the eye, to delve into the essence of his artistry, and to continue the conversation that his works so profoundly initiate.

CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR ARTISTIC STYLE?

“My artistic style is about reflecting on philosophical, aesthetic thinking, driven by ethics and morals. Medium is important but not high on the list. What is most important is trying to present my art-thinking to people around the world with total equality. Physical work exhibitions are important but not as important as being seen and thought about, even if through mobile phones or other media available to even homeless people, perhaps even sleeping on the streets. ”

WHAT IS YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS?

“The creative process, to me, is about history, today, and the future. I am converting thinking perceptions about reality life into written words through photography, drawings, physical or digital, and then potentially towards paintings. After that, we are currently moving in ‘Reverse,’ blending previous works such as photography and paintings into new conceptual physical works such as again ‘oil paintings’ on canvas a’la printing-with-oil-paint. Part of my In’Verse Meta’verse in Re’Verse (I have been in REVERSE) concept, often using human physical paint-printed oil on canvas photorealism rather than Giclee printing. Including, of course, high-quality Lenticular, Hand-press, and Giclee-digital printing works.”

Human Kind’s

HOW AND WHEN DID YOU DISCOVER YOU WANTED TO BE AN ARTIST?

“Aged about 13, while living in Belfast, told my Father I wanted to go to Art School and was told ‘Not Appropriate .’Virtually gave up all educational interests for many reasons, including living in an ‘at that time’ highly unethical immoral biased society. Not long afterward absconded to living on the streets of London, including often begging for food at the entrance to the London National Art Gallery. My life after that changed direction (inspiring my later life art future), with me having to ill-health retire from my IT career at age 55 (20 years ago). Ill-health retirement drove me immediately into Fine Art and three University studies. Photography Dark Room and Digital, Painting, Printing, Drawing all mostly driven by Philosophical Aesthetics.”

WHAT MESSAGE DOES YOUR WORK TRANSMIT TO YOUR AUDIENCE?

“Many, many, many messages. But ‘first,’ everyone sees art in different ways, driven by their own historical and psychological context. Many will not admit this as they might be inspired almost totally by ‘populism,’ such as what they are being enticed to see rather than what they actually see.

The images provided today have a multitude of messages but potentially are best recorded as:

Trafalgar 200 Through the Lens is about History, Today the Future. It records about 50 different countries’ Military Navy people from around Our World (celebrating) the 100th Anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, where many sailors on both sides died. The Military Sailors who attended and

Enduring Imperative to Glorify War. The local public photographed the battle with mobile phones. That fireworks’ Battle” had its publicity name changed from Trafalgar 200 at the last minute to avoid war-mongering accusations.

photographed have been enemies of each other in the past, and yes, potentially in the future. But ‘they’ were photographed joyfully partying with each other at Trafalgar 200. My mission, supported by the Royal Navy, was to document those events independently. Factually. But I did so from different perspectives: historical death, abuse (then and today), unequal societies with grandees and ordinaries, and joyous humans all underpinned with Human Kind’s Enduring Imperative to Glorify War. Royal Navy Admirals supported me by being helicoptered around to witness from different perspectives. Even Queen Elizabeth II Herself described the Des Kilfeather photographs as “fascinating.”

That book forms part of my ingrained ethics and morals and forms the basis of my ongoing messages. Everyone and everything in our world is connected. Countries at war and planning war need to stop now and realize each lost human life is totally irreplaceable. Humans, women, children, men, plus yes, even military beings, are all equal and connected around our world. Today, Military services are unavoidable

“The First Award-Winning Painting Evolved from Photography” Click oil on Canvas

and essential, and often service heroes. However, the future must be about accepting the human race’s connectivity and focusing on bringing people and everyone’s existence together with love, not War.

So, my evolving ongoing art message is that everyone and everything is connected, even through particle entanglement and the collective or even universal unconscious. Many of Des Kilfeather’s works today connect in different ways, physically and mentally. IMR paintings, for example, can be about one

painting, with photograph evolution, being digitally mirrored then repaintedoil-painting-printed with many possible connection possibilities.”

HAS ANY PART OF YOUR STORY INFLUENCED WHAT YOU DO NOW?

“All of my history story inspires what I do now. Everything.”

Early 1970s Royal Navy service. I decided to leave the Royal Navy, and as a Radio (‘Specialist’), this photograph was taken next to a war gun to underpin my then-evolving anti-war thinking in the future.

In’Verse Meta’Verse in Re’Verse is evolving oil paintings with integrated photography (e.g., birds from Trafalgar 200 photographs), evolving forwards then backward into IMR in reverse oil paintings.

Poster for the James Joyce Dubliners Contemporary Contextualisation exhibition sponsored by Failte Ireland.

AWARDS,

RECOGNITIONS AND PUBLICATIONS.

Masters Degree, Meritorious, Fine Art.

2011 UK National Open Art Prize Award, £2000.

2012 UK National Open Art Award, including exhibiting at the Royal College of Art, London.

2012 Writers Museum Solo Exhibition, funded by Tourism Ireland Government department.

2014 Florence Biennale, Italy, awarded Lifetime Membership after an unapplied invite to its 2014 Ethics DNA of Art exhibition in Florence.

Queen Elizabeth II had a Buckingham Palace letter written to Des Kilfeather thanking him for his fascinating photographs.

2019 The NationalPortrait Gallery, London, added Trafalgar 200 Through the Lens to its National Portrait Gallery Library Collection

Des Kilfeather Philosophic Aesthetic Art is about History, Today the Future. History: exploring backward to the beginning of Earth and further through to the beginning of the Universe.

I have always strongly suspected that everyone and everything (humans, animals, and potentially vegetation), everywhere, is connected. This is underpinned by the research of James Joyce’s friend Carl Jung and ‘his’ Collective Unconscious’ theory research. Contemporary science suggests that every ‘particle’ has at least one ‘entangled partner.’ Within my horizon, each ‘human being’ within the Universe context is a ‘particle.

Collective and Universal Unconscious oil painting on canvas is the first set in the series. Each painting can connect with each other in different ways, potentially into infinity, when connected in different buildings in different countries.

Photograph of Russian sailors, under Putin’s regime, saluting Queen Elizabeth II onboard HMD Endurance. For example, magnet-backed evolution (IMR) prints.

Just a few of the various country sailors partying together, celebrating HRH Queen Elizabeth II and Trafalgar 200. Of course, during the whole event, several of the Countries had previously been at War with each other.

Society, Military then and today. Both ends of importance, gun carrying most junior guards under abusive orders, above the actual top of the then RN Military Society, including HRH Princess Anne with the top Royal Navy Admirals.