Nestled in behind Nano Nagle Place off Douglas Street in Cork there is a beautiful space called Good Day Deli.
I say space, and not cafe, because what the owners Claire and Mak, have done with this spot reaches far beyond serving food. Yes, they create absolutely delicious dishes and they have queues around the corner most weekends, but that’s not where their project ends. They have created a really wholesome mission around their food business, keeping sustainability to the fore of their decision making. They encourage community building through a series of talks and their podcast. Tributaries is a collaboration with Ray Foley and invited practitioners, academics and advocates discuss the most pressing environmental issues we face. Recent talks have focussed on ‘The reintroduction of wolves in Ireland’ and ‘Waterways’. Please Wait To Be Seated is a sustainability podcast that discusses GDD’s views on sustainability with their staff, suppliers and guests. Work by local artists and makers are sold on the shop floor furthering their emphasis on ‘local’.
When Claire invited me to show work in the Good Day Deli, I immediately knew it would work out well. To top off everything Good Day Deli stands for, they are also located in a peculiarly un-irish setting; a contemporary container style, glass-clad structure surrounded by a herb garden with high walls and colourful shrubs. The space isn’t quite inside, and isn’t quite outside, which I love.
The pieces I created for the space needed to stand up to it; they are big and bold. The colours reflect the coming of spring, and the emerging of colour; both which are mirrored in the landscape surrounding the space.
I poured liquid pigment onto hand-stretched canvas, pooling and dragging the colour across the surface of the painting. By building layers on top of layers the pieces embody the curves and currents of moving water. The work ‘Congress of Substances’ hints to the abundance of colour and texture found in the natural landscape by deconstructing the marks I use to create paintings. The title of the largest piece ‘Im Waiting At The Weather Window’ evokes a feeling of anticipation for the season to come.
Unfortunately, the works were on the wall a mere week before the cafe closed, in keeping with COVID 19 restrictions. We’re in a moment where it feels like the world is standing still. I am grateful to the solidarity shown by the community of Ireland towards small businesses and the creative community. No doubt Good Day Deli will open it’s doors again once the pandemic is over, and I can’t wait to see what plans Claire and Mak have been hatching!
If you would like further information on any of these works please head to my shop, or get in touch via email.