Eloquent Proof

Description

‘Eloquent proof’ is a play on the term ‘elegant proof’ used in a 2015 dialogue between Lynch and a research mathematician. From this Lynch saw the resemblance between how a mathematician and an artist describe their research practices, both driven by curiosity to find particular outcomes. The term ‘elegant proof’ describes a novel and refined resolving of an exact mathematical problem, while her play on words allows something searching, uncertain and communicative.

Lynch’s photographical architectural studies made in early 20th century French modernist houses, including Eileen Gray’s E 1027, are an exploration of her experience of designed space, rather than a documentary of the various sites. She approaches her work with the question 'What could a photograph that I make here do?’ whereas a mathematician looks for a one true unyielding outcome. Lynch rather brings the viewer into a photographic enquiry of space and time, and presents a question with her photographic evidence of her bodily engagement with place.

Lynch also uses her photographical practice to bring something entirely new into existence with her photograms, images made using elements from the traditional photographic process, lenses and filters, to describe the trace that an illuminated object makes on light sensitive paper. The disassembling of the photographic process, both in her photograms and architectural studies, extends the scope of what is the photographical, and is an exploration of photography’s power as a structure of understanding.

Eloquent Proof consists of work made at Maison de Verre while on residency at Centre Culturel Irlandais, Paris in 2014 and at Eileen Gray’s E.1027, Roquebrune Cap Martin, Villa Noailles, Hyères, and Carrière Sarragan, Baux de Provence, made while on residency at The Camargo Foundation, Cassis in 2015.

Roseanne Lynch was Art-In-Resisdence at Cork Centre for Architectural Education (CCAE) during this time.

Sincere gratitude to the directors and owners of the properties for granting me access, and for the institutions above who have supported my practice, including CIT Crawford College of Art and Design whose support and darkroom I enjoy.