Allotments by Brigid O'Brien

Signal is proud to present the exhibition of paintings and drawings by artist Brigid O’Brien.  Brigid has exhibited widely in group shows in Dublin, Wicklow and London.  She has worked with other artists and people with disabilities, designing gardens and painting murals in places of long –term care.  As an artist, drawings are her specialty, she has a unique quirky view of life which she portrays in her work.

 Allotments were a feature of the earlier part of the last century. I recall observing the patterns left by them on railway banks around Dublin in the nineteen sixties. Quaint, they looked, old fashioned and definitely part of our past.  Fifty years later, in tall glass buildings, decisions are made that affect all of us. A sense of anxiety is now seemingly part of what we are.

 Outside of the economics, the protests and resignations, a new movement has started. It is an underground revolution. It is happening in your area. It has infiltrated schools, business and the media. It is unstoppable.  In a lot of lives there is now more time and less money. There is an awareness of environmental issues and the need for chemical free food. These are practical reasons for the allotment movement.

Enjoying the colours and patterns made by all the little gardens and the lines made by the rows of plants. Getting sweaty and mucky, using muscles and strength to great satisfaction.  Having all the senses stimulated.  Concentrating the mind on all these things rather than the frightening news that comes at us all the time.  Knowing that underground everything is working exactly as it should be.
This movement has a philosophy whose core values are nurturing, sharing, education and respect for the earth. It is a heartening response to life.






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Signal Arts Centre,
1 Albert Avenue, Bray, Wicklow.

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