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<h1 align=center style='margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center'><b><font
size=6 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:22.0pt;
color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></h1>
<h1 align=center style='margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center'><b><font
size=6 color=teal face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:22.0pt;
color:teal'>
Custom
House Studios<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></h1>
<h1 align=center style='margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center'><b><font
size=6 color=teal face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:22.0pt;
color:teal'>
<hr size=2 width="100%" align=center>
</span></font></b></h1>
<h1 align=center style='margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center'><b><font
size=6 color=teal face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:22.0pt;
color:teal'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></h1>
<p class=MsoBodyText align=center style='margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center'><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoBodyText style='margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Custom House
Studios at Westport Quay<font color=navy><span style='color:navy'>, Co.
Mayo</span></font> are hosting an exhibition of new
sculpture by <em><b><i><font face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-weight:bold;font-style:normal'>Verona Stellet,</span></font></i></b></em><em><i><font
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-style:normal'> entitled </span></font></i>At
Water’s Edge</em><em><i><font face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-style:normal'>. </span></font></i></em></span></font><font size=2
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoBodyText style='margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify'><em><i><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-style:normal'>Formal
o</span></font></i></em>pening Saturday April 24<sup>th</sup>
at 3.00 pm by <b><span lang=EN-IE style='font-weight:bold'>Dr. Jean
Conacher</span></b><span lang=EN-IE>, Head of the <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">School</st1:PlaceType>
of <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Languages</st1:PlaceName>, Literature, Culture and
Communication, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType>
of <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Limerick</st1:PlaceName></st1:place>. </span>The
exhibition continues each day until 16<sup>th</sup> May 2010.<font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'><img width=508 height=772 id="_x0000_i1026"
src="cid:image001.jpg@01CAE09C.E798A0E0" style='height:441px;width:338px'
align=baseline border=0><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoBodyText align=center style='margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center'><font size=2 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;color:black'>Image: <st1:City w:st="on"><i><span
style='font-style:italic'>Seaside</span></i></st1:City><i><span
style='font-style:italic'> Souvenirs, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Verona</st1:City></st1:place>
Stellet</span></i><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoBodyText align=center style='margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center'><font size=2 color="#999999" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#999999'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-IE style='font-size:12.0pt'>This recent
work has its roots in a collaborative installation project that evolved
between <em><b><i><font face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-weight:bold;
font-style:normal'>Verona Stellet</span></font></i></b></em><em><i><font
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-style:normal'> and German artist
</span></font></i></em><b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Kirsten Lorenz</span></b>,
during a joint residency in the Heinrich Böll Cottage on <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Achill</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Island</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>.
The installation involved the use of driftwood, and other detritus found along <st1:place
w:st="on">Achill</st1:place>’s beaches, and resulted in a collection of
photographs, entitled “Deserted Places”. </span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-IE style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-IE style='font-size:12.0pt'>This in turn
gave Verona Stellet the impulse to make new works in sculpture
using found materials, and since then many beaches along the Irish coast
have become the locations for source ideas and inspiration. </span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-IE style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-IE style='font-size:12.0pt'>The artist has
become a collector, a treasure hunter, wandering for hours collecting driftwood
and other flotsam. Rusted metal takes on a special quality when exposed to sea
water and air. Sometimes a piece undergoes a lengthy scrutiny before it gets
carried along for miles, only to be discarded at the end in favour of an other
seemingly more valuable one. This process is part of the work. </span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-IE style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-IE style='font-size:12.0pt'>Some of the
materials are instantly recognisable, revealing their original context and are
related to the environment they are found in - for example fishing rope and
plastic floats. The addition of “natural” finds like stones and
feathers contribute to the sense of maritime location. <i><span
style='font-style:italic'>At Water’s Edge</span></i> resonates with the
sea shore and associated themes through the medium, process and contents of the
work. </span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-IE style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoBodyText style='margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The gallery
at <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Custom House Studios</span></b>
is open every day and the exhibiton<em><i><font face="Times New Roman">
At Water’s Edge</font></i></em> continues until The 16<sup>th</sup>
May 2010.</span></font><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoBodyText align=center style='margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center'><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'> <font color="#999999"><span style='color:#999999'><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></font></p>
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