Art of the Wake: Presentation and Collaborative Artwork

You are cordially invited to an afternoon's exploration of and contribution to of the work of Carol Wade, (Twitter @artofthewake), who has spent the past 14 years illustrating James Joyce's notoriously elusive Finnegans Wake as she understands it, and who is on her second painting-route through the novel.

Carol will discuss her project of illustrating this rich and engaging novel from 1-2:30 in G010 Moore Institute Seminar Room, Hardiman Building. This will be followed by a workshop in the Seminar Room of the O'Donoghue Centre from 3-4:30.

James Joyce’s connection to Galway City has long been a matter of record. Indeed, he carried in his pocket a copy of the 17th Century Pictorial Map of Galway that resides in the James Hardiman Library of the University of Galway.

While Ulysses is a book that is very much rooted in Dublin life and Dublin ways, Finnegans Wake is a book of all Ireland, and, specifically, and Ireland that is part of Europe. References to Galway abound in the text, as we pass through Maamtrasna, Barna, Flaggy Bridge, Spanish Place, Tuam, Clifden, Coole Park, Salthill, Letternoosh, Letterpeak, the Claddagh, Prospect Hill, and Slyne Head in the voyage of this work. Any reader who has strolled Galway’s streets will find their own footprints in the book.

The Project

Carol Wade will produce a collaborative artwork, reflecting the Galway of Finnegans Wake into which she will incorporate elements of stories contributed by workshop participants. All staff, students, and members of the public are invited to contribute to stories, anecdotes, and recollections of Galway City and County Life Over the next few months, Carol will incorporate them into the artwork which she will then donate to the Moore Institute of the Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Galway.

The project will take inspiration from the 17th century pictorial map of Galway housed in the James Hardiman Library at the University of Galway, along with contemporary maps and local historical records.

Suggested Contributions

* Stories about Galway handed down from neighbours or family members, either orally or in written form

* Joyce's connection to places in Galway, e.g. the Marconi Station in Clifden

* Events that took place and featured in his work. e.g. The Maamtrasna Murders, Ballybrit Races

* People linked to Galway who appear in his works, e.g. Lord Ardilaun of Ashford Castle

* Nora Barnacle's Galway

The Artist

The imagery in the Wake has inspired Carol to create over 100 paintings and drawings to date; in addition, she has illustrated the whole book page by page. It has been a real joy for her to be able to share these artworks on the website artofthewake.com and on twitter under “Art of the Wake” where almost 5,000 followers actively follow and comment on the work.

Carol is an artist living and working in the heart of Ireland. Since graduating from The National College of Art and Design she has a had passion for exploring how the cultural footprints of our ancestors have evolved in layers from the bog road of Corlea to the cobbles of Moore Street.

For Carol, who grew up in Dublin raised by Dubliners, the language of James Joyce's Finnegans Wake is the language of her childhood. The quick wit, the humour and the characters of the city combined, manifested themselves in her everyday experiences. From the first time she heard the spoken word of Finnegans Wake she had an immediate affinity with the book, recognising the characters as still being alive in Dublin's older generation. It was this recognition that drove the realisation that this culture was still alive but would soon be gone and she was compelled to embark on the challenge of illustrating this marvellous piece of work through the lens of those still with us. The Art of the Wake is the name Carol's has given this undertaking.

Joyce has created a wonderful tapestry of historical, social, and cultural references in Finnegans Wake. The Art of the Wake seeks to weave some of these references into illustrations with the same playful wit for which Joyce was renowned.

Carol is a Visiting Fellow at the Moore Institute for the Humanities and Social Studies at the University of Galway.