TRACKS #2 with Eoin O'Malley

Working with video and photographic material from 2024's wheel painting event in Baltinglass, artist Eoin O'Malley’s TRACKS # 2 will launch with a reception, short video screening, slide show of images and a wheelpainting performance in Mermaid's auditorium.

With thanks to the project funders: Creative Places Baltinglass, the Arts Council and Wicklow County Council.

About the TRACKS project at the Lalor Centre in Baltinglass
On a very rare sunny Sunday last summer, artist Eoin O’Malley presented his unique, inclusive wheelpainting event TRACKS at the Lalor Centre in Baltinglass. So many wheels lined up to take turns at the wheelpainting: scooters, wheelchairs, buggies, rollators, bicycles, skateboards, motorbikes and even a wheelchair Barbie all contributed their individual marks to the floor paintings. By finding the common denominator of wheels Eoin managed to provide a rare opportunity for people of all ages and abilities to join together in creativity.

Originating from experiments using his wheelchair as a mark making tool, Eoin developed the idea for this public event where he created ambitious new work in collaboration with fellow wheel users.

On the day skateboards, bikes, rollators, buggies, skates, mobility scooters and even motorbike users were invited to make their individual marks, creating large scale floor paintings. The day also included live music, face painting, games and refreshments provided by the local Ukrainian community.

An amazing team of individuals and communities all pitched in around Eoin to slot all the elements needed for the event together. The day flew by and the painting turns flew even faster. Lots of people had a few goes and left asking when they could do it again. 

Saskia Vermeulen and Freddie Greenall captured video footage and photographs of the day and it is their work that provided the material for Eoin to go on and develop the idea for TRACKS # 2, a billboard and poster campaign, aiming to bring the innovative, inclusive message of his wheelpainting event to a wider audience.

Eoin O’Malley

Eoin O’Malley is a Wicklow based artist who has been developing his practice since 2008, working alongside facilitator Orla Callaghan. Using his mouth to hold his brushes Eoin has developed a signature style of mark making, working mainly in acrylic on canvas but also with pencil and brush and ink on paper.

During a residency in the Riverbank Arts Centre in 2017, Eoin accidentally discovered the potential to use his wheelchair as a mark making tool. Working with mentor Paul Bokslag at KCAT in 2018, Eoin experimented with floor drawing using an arm attached to his chair.

When his home town Baltinglass was awarded Creative Places Funding in 2023 Eoin joined the local arts group Bart and through newly forged links with the arts community and the help of a Creative Places Seed Funding award Eoin began to develop the idea for TRACKS.

Eoin’s practice has been generously supported by the Arts Council through Arts & Disability Ireland Connect Scheme, Creative Places Baltinglass and Wicklow Arts Office Strategic Projects Award.