Pete Monaghan’s moving take on Wales’ understated architecture

Stephen Price

A new series of works by Pete Monaghan featuring his moving and original takes on Wales’ understated and overlooked architecture takes place in Llandudno’s Ffin y Parc Gallery this month.

Born in Stroud, with strong Irish roots and regular journeys across the Irish sea to Kells in his youth, Aberystwyth-based Pete Monaghan is undoubtedly one of the most exciting and original artists working in Wales today.

Monaghan spent much of his free time drawing in his early years, and his home of Aberystwyth where he first came to study for an MA makes sense on multiple levels.

He told the Irish Independent: “I once drew a straight line on a map from Stroud to Kells – and the line passes directly through Aberystwyth.”

Most of Pete’s work is concerned with vernacular architecture, especially of the “celtic fringes” of Wales, Ireland and Scotland but also the higher slopes of the Alps.

The overlooked but no less beautiful houses, barns, outbuildings, filling stations and sheds are his primary concern, but larger works have concerned aerial views of places such as Llangrannog and Blaenau Ffestiniog.

He also produces a small number of paintings of still life, giving the distinct impression that he’s forever doing things his way.

Perfection, for him, is a flaw.

Irrepressible

After initial training in mechanical engineering and then technical illustration, Pete Monaghan subsequently spent over twenty years in Germany working as an illustrator, and it’s this discipline which seeps through into his breathtaking depictions of some of our enduringly honest buildings.

Llandudno’s Ffin y Parc Gallery, where Monaghan has a solo show from now until 8 March writes: “He seeks to integrate the strict illustration disciplines with an irrepressible passion for drawing and painting.

“In his paintings he depicts vernacular architecture in a fusion of abstraction and figuration, calling on a depth of drawing expertise to produce work in acrylic and mixed media with collage. His background in illustration feeds into the paintings.

“Working in acrylics on wood panel using crayons, markers, collage and spray paint he likes to retain portions of each painting as a drawn element reflecting the fragility and temporality of the structures. His work is part representation, part visceral interpretation.”

Vive la difference

Pete Monaghan’s work is a marriage of disciplines completely unique to him.. and his restless recording of vulnerable buildings seems a mission of its own: to preserve and honour the unique craftsmanship of people gone by against a tide of straight lines, uniformity and staleness.

Urgent, forceful and worthy of a lifetime of reappraisal, there is an undeniable masculinity and mastery to his scrawls, brushstrokes, etchings and choice of found things.

Ahead of his latest exhibition at Ffin y Parc, Pete discussed some of the inspirations for his current show, the surprising things that make the cut into his exceptionally fine art and the joy of individuality.

As you know, I adore your work, and have for some time – making a detour on an Ireland break to check out your work at the Doorway Gallery, Ireland a fair few years ago, but it was Instagram that led me to you – are you a fan of the platform now it’s changed so much and become more video-led?

Instagram, I try to see as a tool. The old algorithm seemed to work better for artists. If it helps spread the word then that’s a help.

I’m old school, or just plain old, so I’m not interested in self-indulgent shite such as making videos of myself. It might help to show the working process I guess.

Your ‘voice’ is very unique to you, and no doubt influenced by your former career(s) – can you tell us more about that, and how you made the switch to full time artist?

The work is undeniably influenced by a lifetime of technical illustration, the accuracy and appreciation of perspective and line.

It was only during my MA at Aberystwyth that I recognised it was possible to incorporate some of the technical illustration techniques into fine art.

Once I realised that they didn’t have to be separate disciplines my style became sort of self-evident, I couldn’t help it!

Like me, you love the overlooked buildings of Wales and the Celtic fringes – what specifically does it for you?

The buildings ARE overlooked, so I think there’s a non-appreciation or ignorance of the, often centuries of, work and development that has gone into some places.

Also I have always felt there are ways of depicting vernacular architecture that tries to understand the grit, grime and hard work of these places rather than any twee chocolate box representation.

Again, back to you career, I sense movement in your work, and you often have a few takes on the same scene, stripped back perhaps, bringing out things overlooked from the first – do you feel your gaze is different to how most people view or comprehend architecture?

These old places have a lot to give so revisiting them usually sparks fresh work.

Doing multiples of the same building, at the same time, allows more playful approaches, I am less inclined to get precious about one piece if I’m working on three simultaneously.

Bits of map, corrugated card.. what are some of the most surprising things that have ended up becoming embedded in your pieces?

Takeaway coffee cups are a favourite. Costa doesn’t work but Cafe Nero does because of the blue they use. I’ve used straw and sand, grit, seaweed, bubble wrap…

I pick up on a little playfulness with the titles, often in Welsh of course, are you learning?

Yes, I’m learning and feel guilty living where I do and not being a Welsh speaker, I’ll keep at it.

Titles can be tricky but they should challenge the viewer as much as the work in my opinion, so they can be slightly obtuse/playful/abstract sometimes.

You offer workshops – can you tell us more about these?

I teach about eight workshops per year, that’s pretty much the limit of what’s possible for me. It gives me a great deal (the students) and drains me too.

I enjoy going to places to teach where I wouldn’t usually travel. I’m teaching in upstate New York in September this year.

Back to Ireland – you’re in some prestigous galleries in Ireland, England and Wales, are you able to share where some of your pieces are available to view for those who might not be able to get their hands on themselves?

It would be best to keep an eye on my website for this one as it’s constantly being reviewed.

The National Library in Aberystwyth hold a painting of mine but the commercial galleries are best for more choice of work to see.

The upcoming show at Ffin-y-Parc will have over thirty new paintings.

So many of my favourite artists are represented at Ffin y Parc, those chaps know their stuff – how did you come to show there?

I became aware of them in 2014/2015 and contacted them and they replied that they were just about to get in touch with me anyway so it was a lovely synchronicity.

They’d seen my work on struggling filling stations at MoMA Machynlleth.

The beautiful new building in Llandudno is such a special showcase for your works, many of which happen to be coastal even if not facing the sea, have any buildings in the north caught your eye while visiting?

There’s so much untapped material in Wales I could spend a lifetime within five miles of Talybont and never be finished.

Yes, the north is always on my radar, I love how the vernacular changes as you move south to north and vice versa.

Can you tell us more about this collection of works, are they linked thematically in any way?

The show is hopefully cohesive even though there are paintings of the Hebrides as well as welsh vernacular and even some urban work this time.

There’s a desire to keep on exploring and developing so there should always be a few “wild cards” in each show.

Do you have any favourite pieces yourself that you struggled parting with?

I don’t have too much problem parting with work but there are definitely favourite pieces when I look back.

They help me to learn and trust that it’s not an exact science, more often it’s about my own mood and energy as much as the subject matter.

For me, it’s originality in any art form that does it for me, and your take on a familiar subject done entirely your way is what moves me the most. Which artists of any form, music etc, are you feeling inspired by lately?

Yep, viva la difference! I feel a slow but wholesale shift in appreciation of originality.

Music is a constant companion for me…I’m particularly impressed by how musicians describe music in words, it can be like poetry, incredible sensitivity.

I’m beginning to realise just how genius JS Bach was, it’s taken me a while!

View Pete Monaghan’s latest works at Ffin y Parc Gallery online or in person at Ffin y Parc Gallery, Llandudno from 14 February.