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Luke McAleenan

Artworks

Narrative

Folded explores the exploitation of horses through the metaphor of waves—used, discarded, and forgotten in cycles. Minimalist horse feeder drawings emphasize their absence, while paper box templates suggest something awaiting assembly or abandoned, reinforcing themes of utility and disposability. Reform extracts words from Folded, displaying them on wooden planks encased in plastic. Visitors can assemble and disassemble the pieces, engaging with ideas of preservation, remembrance, and transformation. All these tears, you lifted presents two embossed papers—one of a horse trough, the other a folded template—resting on a bed atop dismantled pallets wrapped in paper and plastic. The pallets’ funerary aesthetic highlights cycles of labour and abandonment. Sliced fruit on the bed contrasts exertion with indulgence, paralleling the fate of horses and strawberries—both valued for utility and discarded when no longer needed.

Biography

Luke McAleenan works primarily in sculpture, exploring themes of memory, loss, and cultural identity. His practice engages with found objects, engraving, and material processes to investigate the intersections of personal and collective histories. His work examines the emotional resonance embedded in materials and objects, transforming familiar forms into spaces for reflection. Central themes include obsolescence and cultural change, with a particular focus on the interplay between rural traditions and contemporary life.

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