Amanda Dunsmore. Photographer Ros Kavanagh
Limerick School of Art and Design (LSAD), TUS lecturer Amanda Dunsmore is the artist behind a monumental artwork series which will display large-scale silent video portraits of 14 politicians who negotiated the Good Friday Agreement 25 years ago. The artwork titled ‘AGREEMENT’, will be displayed as a special three-screen, epic scale at Ulster University’s Belfast campus from April 15 to 20 and then at other locations across Northern Ireland.
Amanda, who attended Art College in Belfast, worked as an artist-in-residence in the Maze/Long Kesh Prison during the time of the peace negotiations in 1998. Inspired by the 14 individuals who feature in the ‘AGREEMENT’ artwork and their contribution to the ending of 30 years of conflict in Northern Ireland, Amanda decided to recognise their achievements in a unique way.
Amanda went on to visually capture individuals involved in the Good Friday Agreement though video portraits and has been creating the 14 piece collection for close to 20 years. The reason behind the silent video portraits is to show a different side to the individuals who feature according to Amanda Dunsmore, who said, “With these silent portraits the effect is quite strong on the audience, they spend time in the space with people they know from TV and media, in silence. They are well known, and being politicians, they are generally talking, and imparting information, but when you’re given the other silent part of the individual, it gives this quite deep effect.”
A Lecturer in Fine Art, (Sculpture and Combined Media) at LSAD TUS for the past 22 years, Amanda draws on over 30 years of experience to guide and inspire her students. Discussing the influence of her work on her role as a Lecturer, Amanda said, “There is no line between your life and your work and this imparting to students is very important, finding what your interests are in life and carrying this with you in your studio work because you can only do what you enjoy and what you enjoy, you are naturally interested in.”