Alumni Stories - Séamus Nolan
"I spent some time making art, reading about art, and visiting exhibitions and realised that NCAD was at the forefront of the kind of art I was interested in pursuing."
Name: Séamus Nolan
Current Career: Artist and PhD student
Graduation Year: 2004 Fine Art Sculpture, 2018 Design History and Material Culture
Discipline: Sculpture
Location: Dublin
What career path did you want to follow as a child?
As a child I remember me and about 10 boys from my class bunched into our parish priest's car coming back to school from our reconnaissance mission to the local church. We were in the midst of what seemed like weeks of intensive preparations for our first holy communions and when asked what career we wanted to pursue we all agreed it was the priesthood or bust. At the time the priest was a bit of an outsider figure, unmarried, wearing all black and invested in supernatural rites and rituals, the closest thing to an adult without the responsibilities of the adult world I could imagine. Along with the lure of complimentary car, house and house keeper, not to mention the glory of heaven, and ultimate abdication of any misgivings or wrongdoings it was a done deal. Unfortunately, the business of religion went to pot and by the age of 12 I was attempting to conjure alternative fantastical pursuits through drawing, painting and regular daydreaming.
Why did you decide to study at National College of Art & Design?
I didn’t know anything about National College of Art & Design, except that it was the best art college in the country, before I applied on the suggestion of my secondary school art teacher. I was refused twice before the age of 18. Instead, I went to study painting in Cork. After 18 months I knew it was not for me and before failing I decided to resign my position. A visiting tutor told me something that was very important at the time. She told me that this was just one course in one college in one country and not to think of it as a failure but simply that it was not the right fit. I spent some time making art, reading about art, and visiting exhibitions and realised that NCAD was at the forefront of the kind of art I was interested in pursuing.
I eventually was accepted into NCAD and went on to specialise in sculpture. I chose sculpture because it was the closest discipline to what I perceived to be contemporary art. The perfect combination of making, or unmaking and critical thinking. Everything was up for grabs, all mediums, forms and disciplines.
How did you develop your career towards your current job / practice?
Currently, I am working on a PHD by practice that involves developing projects that look at how art institutions and practices might engage with minority communities such as Irish Travellers. I would definitely call it a practice rather than a career and have been very lucky to have been supported by the Irish Research Council to do what I am doing. It was also my supervisor Dr Lisa Godson who has encouraged me to continue my research and to interrogate this line between practice and theory. I’m a student at the moment. So I don’t have any career advice, but as a practicing artist I would advise students or recent graduates to use the resources that they have. To look at their immediate environment or situation and to build their own networks of support, and if they don’t feel they have any to make them up.
Briefly, tell us about one specific project or experience you found interesting, or challenging, and/or inspirational while you were studying at NCAD?
Between the then 3rd and 4th year I was forced to repeat my history of art assignments, where my attempts to avoid any academic tasks during the year backfired. During this extra year one of my tutors Louise Walsh set me up to assist Stewart Brisley for one of his exhibitions in the Project Art Centre. We drove around in a van and visited all the corporation yards in Dublin to collect various objects that the bin men had gathered but could not discard. We also collected vitrines from the National Museum that had all been painted black upon Queen Victoria’s death. It was such a privilege to be part of the project and to work with such a brilliant artist, the experience was formative in how Brisley tied his own work as an artist, collector and curator of ‘ordure’ to the practices of the corporation workers selecting, curating and displaying the objects they encountered. Basically, if there are any opportunities to work with artists or designers whose work you admire, take them, or just get in touch with them and introduce yourself.
If you were chatting with current NCAD students today what is the one piece of advice you would offer?
That the college is on your side, and its job is to support the creativity of its students. So be brave and put whatever needs to be on the table, on the table. There should be no limits, but if you come across limits it is your job to be creative in how to overcome them.
What in your opinion are the most meaningful opportunities for those pursuing creative careers today?
In Ireland, there are many organisations such as The Arts Council, CREATE, VAI, IVARO, that support professional development, and run networking events, seminars and events. Throughout Ireland, there are also a number of studios and galleries such as Temple Bar Gallery, Firestation, Independent Artists Studios, Manorhamilton Sculpture Centre, The Sculpture Factory, A4 Arts… etc that support practice through residencies and training. In fact, most galleries and arts organisations are very much involved in providing support for artists to create work. There are also peer support groups like Critical Friends, reading groups and official or unofficial mentorships, that help to connect artists with their peers and with the kinds of critical reflection it is sometimes hard to have when immersed in production. A lot of artists I know spend most of their time in their studios and their heads, but it is important to know that when we emerge, or when we need support in any way, that there is an infrastructure of other artists and arts organisations there.
