Website: http://www.paulmaccormaic.com/

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I would use the money to hire a large studio and put myself on a wage in order to paint large-scale works for my upcoming exhibition at AXIS in Ballymun. At present I paint in a home studio, a shed that is 3 x 3 metres. As I prefer to work on several pictures at the same time, even when painting small scale work, this can get cluttered.

I am currently working towards a number of projects that should culminate in solo shows in 2012. One is a series of paintings concerned about our relationship in Ireland with the sea that surrounds us. The working title is 'Islanders' and it takes an analytical look at extreme weather conditions and environmental and leisure pursuits involving our seas. A world that is coping with floods of biblical proportions has been created to conjure up images of lost civilizations. And yet, with extreme weather now becoming the norm, the post-apocalyptic world of 'Islanders' is less of the imagination and more of the real.

I am scheduled to show a collection of large scale work at AXIS in Ballymun in November 2012. The title of this exhibition is 'On the Road' and it is based on the visual impact of motorway and bypass building and the effects of long commutes to distant workplaces. Bypasses can often cause businesses to fail and become derelict and motorways can cut through virgin farmland exposing new but often ubiquitous vistas. A large studio is essential for the completion of 'On the Road'.

I believe that the visual arts, like music, have the ability to communicate directly to an international audience, without the need for translations or interpretation. The image, combined with a title, can be immediate and powerful and can transmit ideas that are the basis of all art. My personal vision is to make iconic memorable images that have a universal timeless appeal. The universal themes of love, hatred, justice and the fear of death run through my work as a constant narrative. I am especially interested in notions of the ideal and idealism. Since the time of Plato, artists have concerned themselves with ideal beauty. More recently, we have become bombarded with messages telling us the ideal weight to be, the ideal amount of children to have etc. Many of the goals set by advertisers are unattainable and lead to frustration and feelings of failure. These powerful emotions are often exaggerated in real life and become urban myths and phobias such as racism.

I too make gross exaggerations to create a drama that unfolds as a 21st century baroque. I use painting and photography with strong lighting and cinematic angles to create scenarios that have their finger on the pulse of what it is like to live in the information age. In common with much of the art of the post-modern era and indeed dating back to Dada, I use imagery from popular culture as well as direct observation. I give them a new context, and add another layer of meaning by re-presenting commercial advertisements and combining them with my own imagery to form an anthropology of contemporary Western society.