Paul Nugent’s latest exhibition of eight small-scale paintings is an exercise in minimalist rigour and an exploration of the creation and reproduction of images. With its identically sized works in different monochrome colours, the show has an almost sculptural quality. Upon closer inspection the paintings, such as Eternal No13, reveal repeated embedded images of the Madonna and Child. Notable here is the way he puts his use of photography in the foreground, as the image is photographed, then painted, then obscured by layers of glaze so that it resembles a ghostly negative frame. The repetition of the images suggests the permeation of culture by religious iconography. At the same time, their obscured quality suggests the decreasing power of the Catholic church.
Kevin Kavanagh, Mon-Sat 11am-5pm, free (01 874 0064)