Text by Sean Larkin

Head of the School of Creative Arts,

Dunlaoghaire Institute of Art Design and Technology

Like a latter day Vasari, albeit a 21st century version of Vasari, Simons’ journey and practice

as an artist locates itself in that space where the world of art and art mark the et intersect.

For Simons the ambition is to make work that is accessible and provocative in the way the

audience engages with his work. The fact his work has been seen by upward of 100,000 in

the World Expo in Shanghai created an interesting platform for such large numbers to engage

and interact with the work. Simons sees the potential in Shanghai for his work to create a

discursive space and an intensive opportunity to expand this knowledge both generated and

received. The 411 Galleries commented about the response to “Beijing Girl” at the Group

show “A Sense of Éire” (in the Irish Pavilion at the World Expo, attended by the

Irish President Mary McAleese) “John Roch Simons’ depiction of a girl against a red

background was immediately recognised by the audience as a comment on China as all

passport photographs taken in China must have a red background”.

Simons work in Vas Éire is a refinement of earlier projects which commenced in 1997.

This took the form of video works based on interviews with the public as they related to

camera their views, opinions and reactions to what they thought art should achieve and

whether or not it had been achieved by the art in the “Sensations” Exhibition in London.

Simons acknowledges that this project was instrumental in developing his interest in this

special relationship between the audience of art and the artist as practitioner. Aidan Dunne,

art critic with the Irish Times, in a review of Simons’ “A&E Art and the Experience“

in Dublin, (2005) commented “Simons has had the interesting idea of making work about

the reception of contemporary art, focusing on a normally invisible component of the process,

the audience”.2 

Again, in 2008 Simons progressed his use of the mediums of art photography framed with

painted pigment (used in “A&E Art and the Experience”). He began employing fine art

painting and sketches in a digital format and displayed these as the completed work in

his solo exhibition in Beijing and Shanghai, titled “3 Portraits about 1 Thing”.3 Simons was

interested in the relationships between humans and their natural environment and the impact

of digital imagery on the intimacy contained in these portraits. Simons sought to emphasise

how we look at artwork and provoke the viewer into asking “why did the artists do this?”

instead of “What is this?”, bringing the viewer to a deeper observation of the works. This

focusing and refocusing of imagery was creatively and artistically challenging for Simons

and led to a deeper exploration of the audience as an intrinsic component of his work and

represents a shift from personal to public contexts. We ask the question when looking at

these works “are the paintings and the graphite sketches the end work or part of the process

towards a digital end piece?” The answer to this from Simons is “yes the fine art painting and

drawing are part of the process towards an end piece. I want my art to reflect contemporary

mediums (ie pixels) as well as challenging the audience to engage with the piece”.4

The writings of Vasari have been helpful in shaping Simons’ thinking about artists and

contemporary art practice today. Simons has developed a body of work similar to Vasari’s

“lives of the artist” beginning with the work of four leading Irish artists working in very diverse

arts practices, Patrick Graham, Guggi, Amanda Coogan, and himself. Through an exploration

of these important and influential artists Simons is interested in the artist’s behaviour and work

practices in the studio, and the commonalities that can emerge between these practices,

which leads to a richer understanding of modes of thinking by artists about their art and

indeed the art of others. Observing artists at work in their studios, transcends the immediate

interest of the art community and can provide rich insights into the nature of art, creativity

and cultural enterprise.

A lot of Simons work has been done through video conversations with the artists in question.

In this introduction to part 1 of “Vas Éire”, he has chosen to exhibit silent video installations

to keep his work accessible to international audiences. These give intimate insights to the

activities of the artists in their Studios. A good example  of these insights was Guggi’s

comment after viewing the video of himself  working in his studio in Dublin, “When I was

working on this painting I was conscious that it was an important one. It was part of a series

of paintings I was making for the Yoshii gallery (New York, May- June 2010). As time was not

going to allow me to redo the background I didn’t want to blow it. John was filming me, but

once I started working I no longer noticed. Viewing this footage some months later I saw

expressions in my face and insights into the tensions of me as an artist working to resolve

and complete a work at that particular point in time. I think that’s what John captured”. 4

The central piece in this 2010 exhibition is a drawing of a Chinese girl “Beijing girl”, which is unique and executed in black ink as a painting by hand. The image is shown in a light box, which is backlit, and makes the drawing look as if it has been reproduced mechanically. By using hand - made and technological processes simultaneously the work plays on the shift between the two – dimensional and the three –dimensional. What is interesting here is that in a space where so much of contemporary art practice is highly self – conscious Simons’ work combines representation and associations of tradition and uniqueness with processes of reproduction and manipulation associated with globalisation.

Notwithstanding the above comment materials are very important for Simons, to the extent that he treats his Indian ink before using it in his work. Simons references different systems at work and at play through his use of materials and titles. “After Francis Bacon” reminds us that not all art gets to leave the studio. Simons sets out to demonstrate and explore the interrelatedness between artist and artifact, artist and audience and artist and the art market. He uses this inter

connectedness to question our preconceived ideas about art and art making and always with the intention of

continuing his investigation into new work which proposes alternative combinations of practices. Art history and

geometric composition are very present in these works and one wonders when looking at “Beijing Girl” if this

isn’t a contemporary Chinese Mona Lisa?

1 The Yale Dictionary of Art & Artists, E. Langmuir & N. Lynton, Yale University Press, 2000

2 Irish Times, Aidan Dunne, 30 November, 2005

3 Sean Larkin in conversation with John Roch Simons, July, 20I0

4 Sean Larkin in conversation with John Roch Simons and Guggi, July, 20I0

Sean Larkin.

Head of the School of Creative Arts,

Dunlaoghaire Institute of Art Design and Technology

Ireland.

3 Portraits about 1 Thing

Exhibition Catalogue Essay by Suzanne Mooney.   

“The photographers way of seeing is reflected in his choice of subject. 

The painters way of seeing is reconstituted by the marks he makes on the 

canvas or paper. Although every image embodies a way of seeing, our 

perception or appreciation of an image depends also upon our 

own way of seeing.”  (John Berger 1972)¹  

The general perception of the photograph as a cultural document is not one that can or 

should be overlooked. The media and the greater world as reflected through photography, 

video and television, significantly influence one’s approach to the now fully respected medium 

of photography in contemporary art, raising issues around themes of truth, deception and 

manipulation. Digital photography in particular also lends itself to mass duplication and the 

questioning of the existence of any true original image and thus the inherent value of the artwork. 

Simons has touched on these concerns in this exhibition, ‘3 Portraits about 1 Thing’, yet he 

does not explicitly place himself on either side of the fence in relation to the value of digital

imagery.Rather, he opens up the floor to discuss These matters through interwoven streams of 

thought, symbolism and imagery that continually play with this idea.  

How we engage with an artwork is significantly influenced by both our understanding of the 

subject and our cultural personal interpretation of the medium’s characteristics. The photograph

 is a much more democratised format, with so many of us owning at least one, if not several 

digital cameras.The photograph, especially the digital photograph, could very easily be 

considered to be a format that is most representative of our time. Looking at John Roch 

Simons’ body of work, I can’t help but consider how significantly the photographic format impacts

on the reading of the works. We live in a digital age and have become hyperaware of how 

much of the information we receive on a daily basis is mediated though digital media. 

Simons’ use of photography raises questions of authenticity which, relates directly to a western 

perspective of China as a country associated with manufacturing, mass production and 

eproductions. Recently I came across information about a series of exhibitions showcasing 

the artwork of painters from Dafen, a village located within the metropolis of Shenzen. 

Dafen is credited withproducing most of the world’s oil painting reproductions. 

The usually anonymous, but highly skilled reproduction artists, have been invited to paint a 

self portrait in the style of the great painter whose painting technique they have mastered. 

“The hybrid result of original subject with derivative style comments on originality” 

and “global cultural production”.²  

In our postmodern culture, there is certainly a tendency these days to question the role of 

painting as a superlative medium. This results in a self-conscious use of painting and the kind 

of cross disciplined approach that has been implemented in ‘3 Portraits about 1 Thing’. 

Painting and photography have been in partnership for a long time, going all the way 

back to the first use of the camera obscura as a tool in painting. The role reversal by Simons, 

whereby painting functions as a tool for photography, questions the superiority of painting over 

photography and readily accepts the photograph as the final art-object. 

Is there a significant difference between the photographed and the painted portrait? Does this 

difference result in a markedly different relationship between the subject and the viewer, between 

the viewer and the photographed or the painted gaze? If so, does the painted image, represented 

through a photograph retain the essence of the painted image or take on the characteristics 

of a photograph? One must consider, in addition to the understanding of the subject, if, 

the medium is truly the message. As for any artwork, there is a definite dependence on a 

particular culture’s relationship with the medium and how this relationship 

changes over time. The portrait is a subject that has been produced and reproduced to an 

excessive extent, from Rembrandt’s selfportraits, to Warhol’s multiple portraits, to Sam 

TaylorWood’s video portrait of David Beckham. This subjectis far from new, but this particular

treatment seems fitting for this time. 

Recontextualisation is a major factor in relation to this exhibition. Not only from one medium to 

another, but also the relocation of the entire body of work from the artist’s native Ireland to China 

(and back again?). In relation to the portraits, the western appearance of the subjects must be 

considered. These images could be read as any child if shown in Simons’ home country, 

Ireland, but not so in Beijing or Shanghai. These western faces are more likely to be read as 

“Other”, unfamiliar or representative of the western world and its ideologies. This 

recontextualisation has been a constant consideration and influence throughout the 

development of this work. Having been fortunate enough to view this body of work at a 

number of stages of development over the last year, I have seen that John Roch Simons’ 

relationship with the contemporary art world in China has been a consideration throughout 

the entire process.  

In the portrait triptychs ‘A Prayer For My Daughter After Yeat’s 1, 2 & 3’, the painted image has 

been transformed into a photographic print. Inside the frame of the two of these printed triptychs 

we can still see the tape that held the original painting in view of the camera. This honest 

representation makes no apologies for its medium, but is it just copy? This is debatable, 

as the original painting is not being exhibited, nor will it be exhibited. Therefore this may well 

be the only way one can ever experience this painting. In Ireland, over the last few decades, 

it seems that art institutions have moved farther away from categorising exclusively by medium. 

Instead, they have become much more concerned with focusing conceptual ideas in relation to 

contemporary art. This move has also resulted in a decline in the number of mediumspecific 

degree courses and the introduction of a more interdisciplinary approach from galleries. 

This expansion in the categorization of art has paved the way for more crossdisciplinary 

approaches among contemporary visual artists. In fact, even the term “Visual Artist” is now 

called into doubt as many artists are also considering a multisensory approach. Simons’ 

combination of painting, photography and video seems to embrace this cross-disciplined 

approach to art-making. 

The video, ‘The Work, The Environment And The Gallery’, installed in the central space of the 

gallery, is a culmination of many of the ideas running through this exhibition. The projected 

image is of a domestic setting. A fire burning next to the television set is reminiscent of many 

winter evenings spent indoors watching television. On the TV screen we can see a selection of 

images from this exhibition, some derived from paintings and the others photographic. 

Artist Cindy Sherman has commented on how visual arts cannot compete in a world of 

television and cinema. In fact she states ‘’It can’t... It should incorporate it use imagery as if 

from those things.’’³ In this piece, rather than fight against this conclusion, the artist has 

decided to use the familiar and accessible format of the television to contain his works. 

This domestic setting suggests to me an accessibility that is not usually so attainable in the 

gallery space. Although we are not watching a television in the gallery, it is not difficult to imagine 

the experience and it is this imagined experience that completes the work.  

Youth, nationality and our experiences of art are three of the thematic strands that run through this 

exhibition. The artist’s non didactic approach to his subject matter allows space for the viewer to find their

own conclusion or establish their own internal dialogue. There is no one definitive message from 

the artist, instead the ideas flow through the entire body of work to open up discussion around a number of

 topics. In fact, the title of the exhibition, ‘3 Portraits about 1 Thing’, suggests that there is not one 

definitive representation of a subject and that even three views, perspectives and indeed images, offer still 

a limited view of a particular subject. In the triptych, ‘Irish Artists’, Simons’ offers us three images of the 

Irish artist. Is this a deliberate decision on the part of the artist to highlight the prominence of female artists,

or is gender irrelevant? The decision to title the work ‘Irish Artists’, without attempting to create a gender 

balance is intriguing. In what we like to consider to be a postfeminist era, is it yet possible to look on this

image without considering gender politics? I would like to think so, but then again I must take into account 

the very fact that I am choosing to raise the question.  

The composition of Simons’ images are obviously very carefully considered. Even the photographs are as 

much assembled as they are captured. In ‘Hands And Hogarth’, there are many elements at work to 

complete the composition. It is the central girl’s face and her possession of a gun that command 

immediate attention from the viewer. Her direct gaze draws us into the central frame and her slightly

lowered head leads us down to her hands. The two blue handprints that bracket the figure lead our 

gaze out to the mirrored outer frames and the figures gaze(s) and hands lead us again to the central 

figure to complete the cycle. Is this constructed composition an application of the painters’ eye

to photography?I also can’t help but wonder if the handprint was deliberately painted to retain a small 

element of the painted image in this work. I have heard some digital works being described as

having painterly qualities, when the artist had a background in painting, which leads to the 

question: Is it possible to recognise the eye of a painter even when they decide to work through 

another medium, or is this just coincidental? That said, without stating 

explicitly, the artist has told us of his consideration of the composition in his reference to 

Hogarth in the title. William Hogarth, the 18th century painter and writer published 

“The Analysis Of Beauty” in 1753. In this publication, he theorizes on Visual Beauty and 

introduces his theory of the Line Of Beauty, an S shaped line that created a sense of movement and energy in a composition, capturing the 

attention of the viewer. These concerns of 18th century painting are not exclusively applicable 

to one medium and it is interesting to see them tackled through this mix of painting, 

photography and composition.   

Further to the compositional concerns in ‘Hands And Hogarth’, one cannot ignore the youth of 

the subjects, the guns and GAP logo in all three frames. This work becomes even more 

evocative when looked at in conjunction with ‘Tears’. This play on the potential of youth to become 

perpetrator or victim is reminiscent of William Golding’s ‘Lord of the Flies’ (1954) and calls us to 

question our own cultures and the politics of economic power, violence and the inevitable 

loss of innocence.

‘Narcissus’  is, by my understanding, the foundation on which this body of work was built. 

In speaking about this image Simons’ has stated, “In 1966 my father took a picture of 

my mother and me. For 36 years, like Narcissus at the pond, I admired my own reflection, 

thinking how cute I was. It took over 36 years for me to move beyond this image and to begin 

to ask questions about why this image was created.” It is the hindsight of the artists’ own youth,

documented and remembered, that began the analyses of individual and national history and of the history of art. In addition we can see the 

development of the concept’s inversion, looking forward to the children of our times’ 

development, the embracing of new media and the international exchange which has become 

so much a part of the past, present and future of Ireland. With so many Irish artists dividing 

their career between home and international arts scenes, images and expectations of 

Irishness are a very present issue. 

Does one choose to embrace the immensely loved image of old Ireland, or do we actively 

engage in updating this outdated perception of Irish Art? A land of saints and scholars we may 

have once been, but with the decline of religious influence in Ireland along with the development 

of a genuine contemporary arts culture, that is backed wholeheartedly by government funding, 

we would be wise to look at remarketing ourselves. ‘From the Top Of The House To The Street’ 

and ‘Places Of Rest’ are a frank discussion of our image of Irishness, both at home and 

abroad. For this small country of Ireland, celebrity, economic strength, involvement in 

international politics and peacekeeping missions are a source of pride for many, but despite 

our successes, we are very far from perfect and these shortcomings are evident on our streets.   

It is a natural inclination to study the past in order to understand the present and the future. 

The experiential nature of looking at art was the theme of Simons’ last solo show, 

‘Art And The Experience’. For his current exhibition, ‘3 Portraits about 1 Thing’, the focus 

seems to have broadened to include not just our experience of art, but our personal and 

collective experiences in a range of aspects of our lived experiences. Ranging from the 

explicit portraits, such as ‘Hands And Hogarth’,  to the more abstract ‘Untitled’, acting 

like a full stop to the exhibition, which appears conclusive but is actually an expansion 

of the artist’s ideas, ‘3 Portraits about 1 Thing’ now invites us to question... 

not what we see, but how we see it. 

Suzanne Mooney

¹ Ways of Seeing, John Berger, Penguin Books, 1972.

² Self-portraiture and emerging artistic consciousness in Dafen, a project by REGIONAL, 

the partnership of Joshua Kauffman and Gwendolyn Floyd.

[http://www.regional-office.com/]

³ A Portraitist’s Romp Through Art History, Glenn Collins, The New York Times, February 1, 1990. 

[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE6D6113AF932A35751C0A966958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2]