New Works in Bronze by Patrick O’Reilly at Friedman & Vallois

Friedman & Vallois will present for the first time in New York a solo exhibition of Irish sculptor Patrick O’Reilly. The exhibition will open Thursday, June 13 and will run through September 28, 2013. The exhibition «New Works in Bronze» will highlight a broad over- view of his artistic creativity through twenty-eight bronze sculp- tures all made between 2009 and 2013.

Born in 1957, Patrick O’Reilly, has exhibited in Dublin, Berlin, Lon- don, Paris, Athens, Brussels and even in China and enjoys a strong international reputation. He reveals himself as a multidisciplinary artist: street artist, performer, dj, assemblagist and sculptor for whom monumental scale does not frighten. His work draws from both classical and Mannerist influences as well as from the imagery of contemporary comic and pop art.

The universe he constructs evokes reverie, poetry and especially childhood themes through its iconic animal, the teddy bear which O’Reilly brings back to life with his own sensiblility, humor and playfulness as portrayed in «Ballet Bear» and «Drummer». «Cernunnos» half man half stag and god of prosperity and seasons, father of the Gauls, and archaic divinity, as well as «Flight» or «Bull» belong to the bestiary of O’Reilly’s canon of imagery in which Celtic mythology still holds a strong influence for may Irish.

The human-animal hybridization of «Anvil Man» a playful cross- breeding, recalls the singular ability of particular to Ireland in mar- ring marry humor and seriousness, reason and imagination.