Paula Barrett is an Irish artist whose multidisciplinary practice centres on the theme of landscape and the systems which inform our experience of it. She graduated from the National College of Art and Design Dublin with a BA in Fine Art Media and History of Art in 2006 and a practice/theory MA ACW in 2010. Her practice is concept driven rather than medium specific, and has involved collaboration on a large number of community projects around Ireland since 2005.
In 2015, she initiated Turf Projects, a photographic study of the particular qualities of light and colour experienced in the Irish landscape. She has been compiling a catalogue of Irish colour palettes. Alongside her photographic palettes she has created a set of paints and worked with communities in Cork and Roscommon to put these colours back into the landscape, drawing attention to the natural features of these areas and promoting a specificity and harmony between the natural landscape and the built environment.
Paula Barrett’s photographs have been acquired by the OPW. 1
Awards and honours
- 2021, Artlinks Bursary Award, Carlow County Council
- 2017, Community Heritage Grant, Heritage Council of Ireland
- 2006, Most Outstanding Work from Carlow Artist, Carlow Arts Festival, Carlow, Ireland
Exhibitions
Solo exhibitions
Group exhibitions
- 2022, Straight out of Ireland, IDC, Philadelphia, USA, 11th – 13th November
- 2022, PhotoIreland Festival, Dublin Castle, July 7th – August 28th
- 2022, Boyle Arts Festival, Roscommon, 14th – 23rd July
- 2018, In Progress, Talbot Studios Group Show, Unit 3 James Joyce St. Dublin, June
- 2017, Palette for Bere Island, Heritage Week Event, Numerous venues on Bere Island, Cork, 26th – 27th August
- 2016, Freedom, Hang Tough Gallery, Dublin, April
- 2015, Halftone, The Library Project, Dublin
- 2014, Greetings from Ireland, PhotoIreland, The Library Project, Dublin
- 2010, Ek-stasis/Enstasis, MA Graduate Exhibition, Dublin
- 2010, No Soul For Sale, This is Not a Shop at X Initiative, Chelsea, NYC, USA
- 2009, Camera Obscura, NCAD MA Show, The Lighthouse Cinema, Dublin
- 2008, Make your Mark, St. Mary’s Youth Club, Eastwall, Dublin
- 2008, Constructions, Frederick St. North, Dublin
- 2007, Landmarks, Frederick St. North, Dublin
- 2006, Utopias, Carlow Arts Festival, Carlow
- 2006, NCAD Degree Show, Dublin
- 2006, Faure Requiem, Cathedral of the Assumption, Carlow
- 2005, Eigse Arts Festival, Carlow
- 2005, Community Art Collective, St. Catherine’s Foyer, Dublin
- 2005, New Media Exhibition, Filmbase, Dublin
- 2004, Eigse Arts Festival, Carlow
- 2003, Eigse Arts Festival, Carlow
- 2002, Arts Sur Les Trottoirs, Mer, France
- 2002, Eigse Arts Festival, Carlow
Works
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- Dingle Bay, Kerry, Ireland, Palette for Ireland, Turf Projects, Paula Barrett
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- Deserted Village, Achill Island, Mayo, Turf Projects, #paletteforireland
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- View of the mainland from Valentia Island, Kerry, Ireland, #paletteforireland, Turf Projects, Paula Barrett
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- Scarr, Wicklow #paletteforireland, Turf Projects, Paula Barrett
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- Image of Attymass, County Mayo plus colour palette turfprojects.ie
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- Image of Bray to Greystones Cliffwalk plus colour palette turfprojects.ie
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- Image of Kinsale Harbour plus colour palette turfprojects.ie
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- Image of Malin Head plus colour palette turfprojects.ie
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- Image of The Skellig Ring plus colour palette turfprojects.ie
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- Image of Mizen Head Cliffs plus colour palette turfprojects.ie
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- Image of Sea Spray West Cork Coastline plus colour palette turfprojects.ie
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- Image of Mount Leinster plus colour palette turfprojects.ie
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- wild grasses, bere island, cork, ireland, turf projects, bere island
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- Palette for ireland postcard set, turf projects, paula barrett, irish art
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- malin head, donegal, paletteforireland, turf projects, paula barrett, ireland
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- painted gate on Bere Island, Painted in ‘Trá Ghabhalda Seaweed Yellow’ Turf Projects funded by the Heritage Council, Paula Barrett
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- Pipers Sound Blue Gate, Bere Island, Palette for Ireland, Turf Projects, Funded by teh Heritage Council
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- Cape Clear Lichen Colour Palette, West Cork, Ireland, #palettefor ireland Turf Projects Paula Barrett
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- Ardnakinna Grazing Green Gate, Bere Island, West Cork, Ireland, Palette for Ireland, Paula Barrett, Turf Projects
