Here's what they had to say.....
'The Doorway Gallery is comprised of two levels (ground floor and basement), and a number of individual compartments within these levels. I see quickly that gallery owners Denise Donnelly and Deirdre Carroll have really made the best of an already excellent space, as every area - every nook and cranny - and all of the varying levels of display (of which there are many) - are being utilised with pieces that work with them. To a third party , it seems as if the mission is to have as diverse a collection of artists as possible without compromising the cohesiveness of the show. It's effective here , albeit daring.
Now it has to be said that the works of solo exhibitor, painter Padraig McCaul, command attention. Like a portrait series, McCaul's "Sentinels" uses each canvas to delve into the soul of the subject - in this case, a case or a set of houses. He stagnates the houses in a landscape, emphasising the fact that these objects are fixed in time, enduring endless cyles of inhabitants. What's more, he ignores doors and windows, and keepps a distance from the houses, renedering them isolated and unreachable. I was particularly drawn in by McCaul's work in the left-hand display room in the basement level; being completely surrounded by the paintings almost felt like being encompassed by the windows - each window providing a completely novel glimpse into a quiet, melancholic world.
The scenes McCaul captures are desolate, but maintain the character of the subject he's chosen to highlight. The tone is a refreshing contrast to some of the more light-hearted themes of surrounding works (in the gallery) and again serves to make this a well rounded and multi-domensional exhibition.
Be sure to note the small bursts of bright colour that unexpectedly punctuate some of McCaul's pieces. The Dooraway Gallery and this exhibition are full of special details like this.'
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