Emma Finucane

Biography

Emma Finucane has been researching and making visual art in health contexts for over ten years. Finucane’s art practice has led to a new commission in St.Louise’s Unit, Crumlin Children’s Hospital, CHI, curated by Mary Grehan (2020); a residency with Other Peoples Practices, USHER’S ISLAND (2019) a community day centre for service users of the National Forensic Mental Health Service (NFMHS) a residency in the UCD School of Nursing and Midwifery (2015) and a percent for art commission in Co.Carlow with Denis Roche and Brian Maguire (2013) Most recently she has received the Arts Council COVID-19 Crisis Response award and Arts and Health reflective bursary award 2020.

Recent  Conference Presentations and Public Speaking about her practice include; Culture, Health and Wellbeing International Conference (2021) Association of Medical Humanities Conference  – University of Limerick (2021) OPP, Process Talk, NCAD GALLERY (2020); OPP, Public Talk, Harry Clarke Lecture Theatre NCAD (2019); Artist Talk – Ormond Studios & Salon Night, Outpost Studios, (2018) Art&Health Symposium, The Model, Sligo (2017); Motherhood and Creative Practice, School of Arts and Creative Industries, London South Bank University (2016) Loud Silence, UCD, O’Brien Science Centre, (2015) ReImagining Birth, International Research Symposium, Humanities Institute, UCD (2013).

Emma completed a BFA at the NCAD in 1997 and an MFA in 2006. A founder member of Outpost Studios in Bray Co.Wicklow and co-founder of pff publications with Rachel Fallon and Eleanor Philips.  In 2018  PIMP was added to the Wellcome Collection Library, Feminist Library London and Platform Arts Belfast Zine Collection. She has been commissioned and supported by the Arts Council Ireland, CREATE, Wicklow, Carlow, and Cavan County Councils. Her work has been shown in Ireland, and internationally and can be found in many private and public collections including: OPW, AIB, DIT, and UCD.  She currently lectures part-time in NCAD Fine Print Dept and Fine Art Studio + Arts Health and Wellbeing Module. She also coordinates and lectures on an Arts and Health Module that she instigated in UCD School Of Nursing and Midwifery since 2015.

Statement

I have been investigating the role of the artist in health and making visual art in health contexts for over ten years. I make artwork through dialogue, process based, participatory and collaborative practice.  I investigate the way we connect and communicate with places and each other and ultimately how it contributes to the quality of our lives. It is my intention to ask the questions what kinds of knowledge can an artwork produce in this space? Will it be useful?  My work has frequently combined education, research and artistic practice.

I invite participants to focus on art-making in workshop format allowing space and time to create a dialogic space that can facilitate open and respectful discussion. I use this dialogic space to listen to the participants and investigate the site, place or space in a collaborative manner. Together we question the potential of a creative journey and identify key points of creative departure. What happens when we navigate these spaces together as artist, service user, staff member?  The insights that arise from the dialogic space guide and inform the subsequent creative actions. These actions may result in collaborative or I make art work in response to the findings in these spaces.