The Old Croghan Man is also crucial to Sam Keogh’s new installation. A photograph of the flattened figure is reproduced at a large scale on the Gallery floor. The folds of leathery skin are lifted and propped open by sculptures, casts and found objects to reveal collages of a multitude of images from a broad range of sources: André Masson’s Acéphale illustration depicts a headless monster, functioning as a parodic diagram of the ideas of the Surrealist philosopher Georges Bataille; Krang, the villain from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, is an anthropomorphic brain housed in the torso of a human-shaped exo-suit; the cryogenically-frozen body of John Spartan from the film, Demolition Man; and a snapshot of the artist’s mother, apparently perturbed by a ‘virtual autopsy display’ of a mummy in the British Museum.

Abjection, preservation and the link between violence and representation are central themes in this exhibition. However, the permanence of an enduring artwork is contradicted by Keogh’s use of crude materials and demotic craftsmanship. A grubby charm seeps through much of the artist’s work as he exhumes links between disparate fragments of internet memes, childhood obsessions and critical theory, which clash to form an aggregate of references from high, low, sub and popular cultures.

Sam Keogh has exhibited widely in Ireland, with recent shows at Kerlin Gallery, The Model and Project Arts Centre. His work was also included in our group exhibition, Dukkha, last summer.

At 7pm on the night of the opening, the artist will give a performance in the installation. This will be recorded and screened as part of the work.

An artist’s book accompanies Four Fold, which includes a draft of the performance script and images of research material.

Artist Talk | Sam Keogh in conversation with Vaari Claffey, 10 July 2015.

Click here to view the Sam Keogh Four Fold publication.

Review | ‘Bring up the bodies – and have a good look at them | Visual arts round-up,’ by Aidan Dunne, The Irish Times, 2 June 2015.

Review | ‘Arts Desk: Sam Keogh Four Fold,’ Totally Dublin, 30 June 2015.

Interview | ”Four Fold’ by artist Sam Keogh,’ Arena, RTE Radio 1, 25 May 2015.

This exhibition was generously supported by an Arts Council of Ireland Project Award and a Production Residency at the Irish Museum of Modern Art. The Douglas Hyde and the artist would also like to thank the National Museum of Ireland and Kerlin Gallery, Dublin for their support of the exhibition.

Images: (left & right) Sam Keogh, Four Fold, 2015, installation view. Courtesy of the artist and The Douglas Hyde. Photograph by Denis Mortell.