artist statement

‘The Cold (2)’

This painting is an imaginary, but realistic depiction of a familiar Irish landscape in the event that the Gulf Stream stops flowing. The  consequences to the health and well-being of millions are terrifying to imagine.

The Gulf Stream system could collapse as soon as 2025, a new study suggests. Researchers spotted warning signs of a tipping point in 2021.

The new analysis estimates a timescale for the collapse of between 2025 and 2095, with a central estimate of 2050 if global carbon emissions are not reduced. Evidence from past collapses indicates changes of temperature of 10C in a few decades. Ireland is positioned at the same latitude as Labrador and Newfoundland in Canada. It is the effects of the Gulf Stream which gives Ireland our moderate temperate climate. The climate of Newfoundland is characterised by freezing, snowy winters, temperatures can drop to -25/-28 °C.

Dave Madigan creates paintings which reflect his interest and concerns in the social, psychological and biological impacts of the Anthropocene Age. New technologies, industry and urbanisation have created a world that is increasingly removed from Nature. The effects of human activities on Earth can be seen in climate change and biodiversity loss.

He is a regular exhibitor in the annual shows of the Royal Hibernian and Royal Ulster academies. His work is featured in many public and private/corporate collections including the Office of Public Works, DCU Business School, and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. He was the recipient of the Dún LaoghaireRathdown County Council 2023 Visual Art Commission funded by The Arts Council of Ireland. Here he held his first solo exhibition, Landscapes and Oddities, in DLR Lexicon Gallery in 2023 which received positive coverage in RTÉ, The Irish Independent, Irish Tech News and other press.