Lots of Fun With Finnegans Wake
A multi-year art project, nourished by James Joyce’s final book, Finnegans Wake (1939).
This artwork (2016 – ) yokes together my twinning interests in the visual and verbal, the illustrative and intellectual, the optical and oral. Elements of this 628-page project have been exhibited in Antwerp, Changzhou, Hong Kong, Montreal, New York, Philadelphia, and Toronto, and been published by journals in Canada, England, France, Ireland, Israel, Nigeria, and the US.
Various media on archival, acid-free card stock.
Each Original is 8 ½” X 11”.
Originals – other than those marked “NFS” – are available for purchase.
A selection of Limited Edition prints. Print sizes vary.
Some are Variable Edition prints.
All Originals can also be purchased as Limited Edition prints.
International Exhibitions, Publications, Collections, Reviews, and Podcasts
2025
Podcast
Toby Malone (Toronto) and TJ Young (Pittsburgh), “WAKE: A Cold Reading of Finnegans Wake.” An hour-long podcast with Peter O’Brien discussing Finnegans Wake and visual art, opera, the nature of genius, nudity, Glenn Gould, Virgil, and Wagner.
Private CollectionS
Artwork in Private Collection: Canada (X2)
Watch now on YouTube:
Listen now on Spotify:
2024
Symposium Talk
“A Mixer and Wordpainter”: Illustrating “Finnegans Wake” by Tamar Gelashvili
Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University
Tbilisi, Georgia
Private CollectionS
Artwork in Private Collection:
Canada (X3)
2023
Private CollectionS
Artwork in Private Collections:
Canada and U.S.
2022
Journal Publication – Essay & Portfolio
Essay and Portfolio
“Having Fun at the Wake”
Artist statement and 3 artworks
Exhibition
1 artwork in “Portraits of Resilience” in I AM HERE:
Home Movies and Everyday Masterpieces, Art Gallery of Ontario Toronto
Private Collection
Artwork in Private Collection:
Cayman Islands
2021
Exhibition
Philadelphia Center for the Book, in partnership with Swarthmore College Libraries Philadelphia
3 artworks
Review of
The echo is where
James Joyce Quarterly,
Volume 58, No. 1 – 2
Journal Publication
Portfolio
Libretto Magazine, Issue 4 (Nigeria)
“watching her sewing a dream together”
9 artworks
2020
Exhibition (Permanent)
1 artwork at University of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Journal Publications
Portfolio
Lida Literary Magazine Issue 2 (Canada)
“LOTS OF FUN WITH FINNEGANS WAKE”
2 artworks
Portfolio
The Brooklyn Review Fall 2020 (U.S.)
“Mormorial”
8 artworks
Artwork
Sein und Werden (U.K.)
“From Lots Of Fun With Finnegans Wake”
1 artwork
Portfolio
Thorn Literary Magazine (U.S.)
“Lots Of Fun With Finnegans Wake”
8 artworks
2019
Catalogue Publication
The echo is where
Carbon Publishing, 102 pages
Portfolio of pages 126 – 168, with international commentary from 43 academics, artists, curators, and writers.
Exhibitions
3 artworks at Arta Gallery
Toronto
7 artworks at Les Ateliers 6235
Montreal
Journal Publications
2,000-word Essay and Portfolio
Joyce Studies Annual (U.S.)
“Drawing on Finnegans Wake: ‘the one the pictor
of the other’ “
8 artworks
Artwork
Jelly Bucket Literary Journal (U.S.)
1 artwork
Artist Statement and Portfolio
Existere Volume 38, Issue 1 (Canada)
6 artworks
2018
Journal Publications
Artwork
The Raw Art Review Fall (U.S.)
1 artwork
3,000-Word Essay and Portfolio
Art / Research International
Volume 3, Issue 2 (Canada)
“Drawing Upon Finnegans Wake”
8 artworks
Portfolio
The Globe and Mail June 16 (Canada)
“Taking apart James Joyce’s final
novel Finnegans Wake”
4 artworks
Portfolio
The Fortnightly Review (England)
“Pages from Lots Of Fun With Finnegans Wake”
7 artworks
Artwork
HCE Review Volume 11, Issue 11 (Ireland)
“Page from LOTS OF FUN WITH FINNEGANS WAKE”
1 artwork
Portfolio
The Ilanot Review Volume 15 (Israel)
“Come Into The Pictures: A Graphic Reconfiguring of Finnegans Wake”
3 artworks
Exhibitions
1 artwork in
“Opulence: Not Everything that Glitters is Gold”
The Center for Book Arts
New York
1 artwork in
“habitus – a commonplace,” by Ann Hamilton
CONVERGE 45
Portland, Oregon
“the one the pictor of the other”
(2 feet X 65 feet)
26th International James Joyce Symposium
Antwerp
2017
Journal Publications
Artwork
Silver Streams Issue 3 (Ireland)
“Page from LOTS OF FUN WITH FINNEGANS WAKE”
1 artwork
Portfolio
World Literature Today (U.S.)
“Come into the Pictures: James Joyce, Illustrated”
8 artworks
Cover Image
James Joyce Quarterly Volume 53,
Number 1-2 (U.S.)
1 artwork
Exhibition
“River Run”
(2 feet X 31 feet)
North American James Joyce Conference
Toronto
Peter O'Brien 