National Identity 4-9 Influence Abroad 10-21 Impact at Home 22-31 21st Century Ireland 32-37 Event Management 38-41
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Emergence
SFMOMA
National Identity
Independent Ireland emerged as a state full of intense debate centred on its future. This fledgling state which emerged from violence and tension, became hyper-nationalist on a social, cultural and political basis. On foot of both the War of Independence (1919-1921) and Civil War (1922-1923) a strong desire formed to forge a new Irish identity based on images, motifs and myths drawing on Ireland’s unique cultural heritage, detached from Britain. These ideals manifested in fields such as infrastructure, architecture and advertising which was to develop
in the following forty years. I will explore the statement that ‘through objects, cultures are recorded, providing us with tangible evidence concerning transformations in values and politics’ by analysing transformations and developments in Ireland from 1929 to 1953, through both architectural developments and hyper - nationalist imagery in advertising and tourism. Important political figures emerged who had strong beliefs on how Ireland would develop. These included, but are not limited to, Patrick Pearse, Eamon de Valera and Sean Lemass. Pearse, an important figure in the Easter
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Rising of 1916, said that Ireland has the resources to feed five times her population ...would beautify cities..... govern herself as no external power. American anthropologist Clifford Geertz found that that in newly independent countries there is always the question of ‘who are we’ and a rush to have a clear and coherent formed identity, as if it were always identifiable before. In this essay I will often refer to his book The Interpretation of Cultures, and how there are two themes that often than not are entangled in each other. One is essentialism, the indigenous way of life as envisioned by the nation, and two is epochalism, the spirit of the age as desired by the state. As Geertz says The tension between these two impulses-to move with the tide of the present and to hold to an inherited course-gives new state nationalism its peculiar air of being at once hellbent toward modernity and morally outraged by its manifestations ... but it is more than a collective derangement; it is a social cataclysm in the process of happening. I will discuss a number of objects, architectural pieces and state sponsored advertising, considering what the item in question represents and whether it is an example of essentialism or epochalism. When going through this exhibition, we ask you to question and think did that independent Ireland relied slightly more on essentialism than epochalism in forming its new identity, This is especially clear in the image Ireland projected in its advertising for tourism. As taken fromIreland, Design and Visual Culture; After the war of Independence and the civil war in politically divided island ... the image of the creative unity of the west, the vision of the heroic rural life in the Gaeltacht or on a western island served as a metaphor for social
Emergence
cohesion and an earnest of a cultural unity that transcended class politics and history. I will first examine Dublin airport (Fig. 1). Completed in 1940, its chief architect was Desmond Fitzgerald. The building was impressive on an international scale for numerous reasons. In addition to its main function, the airport had offices, banks and a custom hall. The site spanned over 700 acres and was a curved building with 5 floors, tiered viewing terraces and external spiral staircases, a clear example of international style. Tate’s definition of international style was the way
“On foot of both the War of Independence and Civil War a strong desire formed to forge a new Irish identity based on images, motifs and myths drawing on Ireland’s unique cultural heritage, detached from Britain.” to “describe architects associated with the modern movement whose designs shared similar visual qualities – being mostly rectilinear, undecorated, asymmetrical and white”5. The building created excitement, not only for its function but its appearance. This style was in major contrast to the classical and romantic styles historically present in Dublin, such as the Custom House, the GPO and the Irish Houses of Parliament. The objects I have analysed (architecture, posters and advertisements) provide us with an understanding of transformation
National Identity
that occurred in Ireland following independence. They are capable of showing us the values of the time, of both the Irish people and the state and how they were influenced by the new air of Irish politics that followed independence. In order for Ireland to prove that it was a thriving independent nation it chose architectural developments which not only held a function (i.e transportation and electricity) but through international style, also symbolised modern Ireland’s place in the modern world. These drastic changes in appearance were balanced with imagery and advertisements that would be familiar to the Irish eye. Hyper nationalism manifested itself in the exaggeration of traditional Irish life, such as imagery of the mythological hero Cuchulainn and weaving of the crios belt. When these images of essentialism are not used, developments such as the modern Busaras are viewed differently and negatively. I believe the architect’s Scott, Fitzgerald and SiemensSchuckert- at Ardnacrusha- all had a role in fulfilling technological and modern advancements as envisioned by the state required artists like Melai and Brewster to make the connection of these things to the Irish people. It is thanks to the architects, designers and illustrators who have provided tangible evidence in the form of objects, that the Irish people and those beyond Irish borders, know the values of the Irish but more importantly, know the answer to the question - ‘who are we’. In this exhibiton of emergence we expect you, the participant to emerge themselves in Irish Visual Culture, all that it once was to what it could be. The exhibition will have original film photographs of iconic examples of architecture, showcasing ireland’s take on International Style. In the
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exhibtion will also show original Dutch designer; Guus Melai’s air lingus tourism posters which was Ireland’s stepping stone in how to expressive ourselves to not only our neighbours but ourselves, in other words, a strong sense of pride distinct to the Irish Nation. SFMOMA has also allowed us the space to make a fully immersive 4 dimentional immservice experience to allow all to get a feeling of what it feels to be on irish soil. In addition to this immersive experience we have a realistic copy of Guus Melai’s screenprinting room to be able to make your own Irish tourism poster to bring home - please check back of Catalogue for more information and prices for this. This exhibition is split into 4 spaces. The first space is Influence abroad. This would discuss the works of Siemens in Ardacrusha and the strong german architectural influence ireland recieved as well as the Italian stone tiles from works of Michael Scott for Bus Arus and finally the works of Guus Melai and that strong dutch presence. This exhibition is also in pararrel to the more permanent exhibition we have going on by the San Francisco-based curators Al Cosio and Monique Delaunay who organized this exhibition of work by six Irish artists living in America, whose ambiguous and multifaceted Irish identities create international dialogue and cross-cultural fusion. The exhibition also aims to illustrate how artists of various nationalities form communities and exchange and express ideas. We welcome all members of the community to learn about this aspect of our nation, past and present and all that is in between.
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Emergence
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National Identity
The captions would be in 8pt on 10pt in Arnhem Pro SemiBold.
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Emergence
Influence Abroad
Influence Abroad
As noted by Paul Larmour, Dublin Airport was the ‘most adventurous...elegant, graceful and majestic example of the International Style in Ireland’6. The Airport was paramount in how it simply brought Ireland nearer to Europe and nearer to the new world, both literally as it was a big development in transportation, but also symbolically. The airport gave Ireland a platform to present itself to the modern world; bringing a sense of pride to the nation that was also admired beyond Ireland’s borders too, as noted by Sean Rothery in Ireland and the New The design date,
therefore, for the Dublin airport, a mature and elegant exercise in International Style, is early even by European standards, and it was certainly in advance of most work in the style done in Britain at the time 6 Larmour, Paul. Modern Movement Architecture In Ireland. The construction of Dublin Airport was a milestone for Irish tourism. Guus Melai was the first Dutch designer to work for Aer Lingus. As a designer for KLM, he brought a different perspective to Irish tourism. As King observes “.. much tourism ephemera of the 1950’s and 1960’s was authored by the same pool of emigre
designers who both reformulated existing strategies and provided new prototypes for how Irish national identity could be visualised both national and international consumption. The Dutch designers also were important in introducing the term ‘graphic design’ to the Irish. As per Ireland, Design and Visual Culture: “in doing so their collective legacy extends beyond tourism advertising and also compromises significant contributions to the professionalization of Irish graphic design practise” Melai sought to redefine Ireland’s international image by using indigenous
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stereotypes and metaphors to promote the country and therefore help increase Irish tourism. One of Melai’s most well-known works is the poster below “Ireland invites you” which was produced in 1953. This poster was an example of the state wanting to portray a very specific image of the country. It was commissioned by Aer Lingus and Fogra Failte. This was a political act - for example Sean Lemass, a Fianna Fáil TD and future Taoiseach, made the case strongly that tourism would be key to Ireland’s economic development, which was a strong focus as Civil war led to economic turmoil. It was important that Ireland presented itself as a successful and thriving state as soon as possible following all the hardships it went through to gain independence in the first place while also showing a traditional image. The poster clearly references the rural west of Ireland ; a popular holiday destination amongst tourists for its beautiful landscape, quaint towns and distinct traditions. The poster displays a fisherman wearing a traditional Aran sweater and weaving a traditional crios belt. Melai’s focus on the man’s dress is important and worth noting: under the Penal Laws of the 17t hand 18th centuries, numerous aspects of Irish culture and tradition such as religion, language and folk dress, including the crios belt, were prohibited (the belt itself, for example, “survived 8K ing, Linda, and Elaine Sisson. Ireland, Design And Visual Culture . Cork University Press, 2011. 9 King, Linda, and Elaine Sisson. Ireland, Design And Visual Culture.“only in the remotest parts of Ireland like the Aran Island. In the background is a stony beach and curragh with a clear blue sky. Instead of focusing on the modern architecture and developments in technology that
Emergence
the Airport displayed, Melai chose to focus on the opposite. Melai was clearly more interested in essentialism rather than epochalism in his advertising. Melai has evoked the cultural and economic traditions of the west of Ireland to act as a representative for all of Ireland. Guus was a member of the ‘Dutch School’, artists and designers from the Netherlands, who came to live in Ireland in the 1950s and 1960s because housing was cheaper and luckily for the Irish, a new fresh perspective on our visual identity was needed to be brought in. In January 1956, Aer Lingus’s publicity department forwarded one of the airline’s posters to the Arts Council. Entitled Dublin it comprised a highly stylised illustration of Ormond Quay. It was designed by Dutch designer Guus Melai. Although the British journal Modern Publicity had described the poster as representing “the best of European publicity material”, Arts Council chairman Patrick J Little wrote to Aer Lingus’s General Manager, JF Dempsey, stating that the council thought it had “very little artistic merit”. He further suggested that Aer Lingus, and all other “public bodies” should first consult with the council before “embarking on activities of this nature”. Dempsey’s reply, courteous but firm, explained that the success of “commercial publicity” demanded “compromises with sheer artistic effort” and declined the offer of consultation stating that “time rarely permits us to delay production that usually has a degree of urgency”. At this time the Arts Council’s remit included design development, but it is clear from Little’s comments that it had little understanding of contemporary advertising strategies.
Influence Abroad
Guus Melai ‘Ireland Invites You’
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An emphasis on the economic benefits of tourism had a crucial impact on the trajectory of design practice. This awareness can be traced back to the 1940’s with the realisation that the tourism industry could supplant agriculture as the principal indigenous industry. As mass emigration and high unemployment figures defined the 1950’s, there was a distinct growth in design activity, allied to tourism development. This was most evident in the area of graphic design where Dutch designers from KLM were imported to work on an ambitious advertising campaign for Aer Lingus.
Emergence
As the decade progressed, these designers worked for many tourismrelated companies including Bord Fáilte and John Hinde, in addition to working for a host of indigenous companies, including Guinness and RTÉ. They were also active in promoting the advertising industry which continued to expand with the establishment of the Institute of Creative Advertising in 1958 (now ICAD). As a flag carrier, and thus, official agent of state, Aer Lingus became hugely significant in how Ireland and Irish design were viewed internationally. It became a locus for the promotion of quality Irish
Influence Abroad
goods as exemplified by the design of crew uniforms, the examples of Irish ceramics, glass and textiles used in its service provision, and its promotion of Irish design in the pages of its in-flight magazine, Cara. With limited industrial production, direct or indirect state intervention into the stimulation of design activity remained necessary during this period. A number of government reports were published emphasising how greater links between art, industry and tourism were crucial for the country’s economic survival and the recommendations of these, including that of educational reform,
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slowly trickled down into official policy. By the late 1950’s, Ireland had reached a turning point. A radical shift in political thinking from insularity to internationalism emerged and paved the way for economic development through greater engagement and trade relations with Europe. With respect to other design disciplines, specifically graphic design, textiles, ceramics, house-wares and industrial design, the most significant development occurred as a consequence of an invitation to a group of Northern European designers (including Kaj Franck
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and Åke Huldt) to survey Irish design in 1961. The observations of this group (published as Design in Ireland or The Scandinavian Report) were partly responsible for the establishment of the Kilkenny Design Workshops (KDW), the first government-sponsored design agency in the world, and the singular, most important design initiative in the history of the state. KDW focused on the training, retailing, modernisation and promotion of Irish design, addition, to making sustainable links with extant Irish and European manufacturers and small-craft initiatives. By the mid-1960’s textiles and graphics were the main source of design employment in Ireland and KDW had particular successes in these areas. In addition to nurturing the emergent field of industrial design, it also had great success in the export market for Irish craft, particularly in the US. Growth in design awareness, particularly as allied to export markets, eventually heralded huge developments in design education provision in the 1970’s. In Dublin the National College of Art and Design was completely reformed; Dún Laoghaire’s College of Art and Design championed Bauhausian principles of education; a network of Regional Technical Colleges appeared across the country; and new courses in graphics, industrial and fashion design emerged. In a similar trajectory to the 1950’s, the recession of the 1980’s unexpectedly stimulated creativity and ingenuity. The first design degrees materialised in 1981 and as a new generation of formally trained designers graduated, Dublin in particular experienced a significant rise in graduates establishing graphic and industrial design consultancies. Due to an increased emphasis on tax breaks for foreign investment,
Emergence
international animation studios also established headquarters in the city. A new wave of emigration added to the network of the Irish design diaspora. As Irish graduates secured internships in the design centres of New York, Milan, Paris, Berlin and London, they opened up opportunities for subsequent graduates, keen to train with the world’s best design talents. Back in Dublin, astute entrepreneurialism saw the industrialist Tony Ryan establish the lowcost airline Ryanair, revolutionising airline travel across Europe and placing Dublin at the centre of a growing aviation network. The physical fabric of the city also began a radical transformation. By the end of the 1980’s, an ambitious project of urban renewal was formulated; twenty years on this Docklands Development Plan has transformed the city’s landscape through a mix of office, residential and cultural buildings. In the next room you will enter all that is the west of Ireland and the epic and extraordinary Ardnacrusha power plant located in County Clare. This major infrastructural development was completed in 1929, seven years after Irish independence. For the first time it brought electricity to 40,000 Irish homes, “setting the foundation for rural electrification and paving the way towards a brighter future’11. The plant was revolutionary even by international standards as “one of the largest civil and electrical engineering projects of its kind,’’12 especially for the size of the country was Ireland. It seemed to fulfil Pearse’s vision for Ireland mentioned above: Indeed, the construction between 1926 and 1929 of a large power station on the river Shannon under the direction and control of the Electricity Supply Board, was one of the very few undertakings to represent a fulfillment of earlier
Influence Abroad
seperatist ambition. The plant was not merely aesthetically striking, but also reflected a new hope for the newly independent Ireland. In other words it is a perfect example of epochalism; the Ardnacrusha was the spirit of the age envisioned by the State. As noted by the book Art and Architecture In its early years, the challenge for the independent state was to steer a course between inherited tradition and optimistic modernization Emblematic of this nascent identity was the Ardnacrusha hydroelectric scheme deploying modern materials forms and technologies to supply a critical piece of new infrastructure. It was fitting that the modernist movement emerged while Ireland was forming its new identity. The young state’s commitment to technological progress and modernisation led to a need of skills and expertise from European neighbours. Just as Dutch designers were welcomed to help with design and tourism, German engineers helped to work on the construction of Ardnacrusha. There were more than one hundred German workers and engineers on
“The airport gave Ireland a platform to present itself to the modern world; bringing a sense of pride to the nation that was also admired beyond Ireland’s borders too”
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site many of whom brought along their families during their stay. As summed up in Ireland Design and Visual Culture; The distinctions between ‘the nation’ and the ‘state’ are particularly complex and the boundaries between these distinctions are often blurred. This is particularly apparent in, for example, considering the Shannon hydroelectric scheme, which simultaneously met the State’s need for modernisation through its employment of German industrial designers and yet was also popularly represented as a project able to draw links to Ireland’s mythological past and discourse of the ‘nation’. There were numerous advertisements made for Ardnacrusha and one most notable was by Dublin illustrator Gordon Brewster. The illustration comprises a field of horses galloping and controlled by the mythological hero Cuchulainn who is depicted wearing Celtic dress. Brewster successfully captured the magnificence of the river Shannon through the metaphor of the strength and speed of 90,000 horsepower. As stated by Ireland, Design & Visual Culture, the advertisement was “incorporating electrical technology into traditionally Celtic or Gaelic Irish vision”. Referring back to Geertz ‘essentialism or epochalism’, Brewster clearly choose essentialism over epochalism. It is as if Brewster knew that the very new upcoming spirit of age and advances in technology were too alien, so in advertising, he chose to display the indigenous way of life. In the next room in SFMOMA Michael Scott’s Busáras bus terminal which was built in Dublin which was completed in 1953 will be displayed. Similarly to Dublin airport, Busáras was seen as a glamour hotspot. The station held not only a hub for buses, but a cinema, a restaurant and various
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Influence Abroad
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“ ... much tourism ephemera was authored by the same pool of emigre designers who both reformulated existing strategies and provided new prototypes for how Irish national identity could be visualised both national and international consumption.� - Dr. Linda King
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kiosks. It was important to Scott that the materials looked and felt Irish. Scott used Portland stone, as Irish granite was too expensive. Scott decided that the bus terminus required decorative mosaic tiles and not painting, and travelled to Italy to buy these. Alongside the Portland stone and tiles, the terminus had wrought iron and air-conditioning. The use and admiration for materials played a key role in transforming architecture from ornate and romantic to modern and functional, as according to Harbison “It was not until this century that the idea of stripped down functionalism in architecture gained widespread currency... The 1950s saw spectacular developments in architecture..... With the increase of confidence in new materials and structural methods has come a bolder use of them.” Not only was the Bus terminus distinct from the past architectural styles common in Ireland, but it was striking due to its location, beside the classical styled Custom House. Michael Scott himself said some “couldn’t bear the idea of a modern building going up on that site so close” to it 16. Despite some uproar, the building “got a wave of approval from British and European Architects” 17. This bus terminal meant that Ireland could prove it was a nation of the future, connecting masses of people from one county to another. It was a sign of a busy country full of hard working people. Ireland has changed drastically in the last few years. What has become more apparent and a recurring theme in Irish identity is the ever growing number of those who leave Ireland, and how Irish people live all over the world. Just as when Dublin Airport was built, Irish tourism is a huge focus, and it is now one of Ireland’s key economic drivers. Dublin Airport now has two terminals, the latest being built by Pascall+Watson and
Emergence
Mace in 2010. It was designed in mind to be a “landmark building and a gateway into Ireland for the 21st century”18 and echoes the efforts made to project an image of the country for arriving travellers just as the initial airport tried to do. Due to technological advances, tourism and advertising is now largely reliant on photography instead of handmade posters like Melai’s. Despite the difference in delivery, the message and focus remain the same. Farming was, until the second half of the 20th century, the main driver of Irish economic activity. What manufacturing did exist prior to the foundation of the state in 1922 largely consisted of local craftbased industries centred on textile, glass and ceramic production. In the previous decades, craft output had taken on a particular significance as the Irish Arts and Crafts Movement demonstrated how local traditions could materialise Irish difference and give concrete form to the aspirations of cultural nationalism. Examples of large-scale manufacturing were limited, and in Dublin brewing, distilling, baking and paper production thrived, in addition to a modest textile industry. Within this industrial landscape, Guinness (1759-) dominated the story of Dublin’s industrial production. The first government of the Free State embarked on an ambitious project of nation building in which design activity – dominated by architecture and engineering - were employed to create a national network of infrastructure and communications. Milestones of the period included the monumental, Siemens-built, Ardnacrusha hydro-electrical station on the Shannon River and the launch of a state radio station.
National Identity
The Dublin Bus Terminal Built. Architecture: Michael Scott
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Impact at Home
Impact at Home
As the political climate stabilised in the 1930’s, the emphasis on state infrastructure continued with the establishment of a national airline, Aer Lingus; a new National radio station, RTÉ; and the provision of a network of national hospitals and schools, many of which are still in use today. The blue print of Dublin city changed dramatically during this time: Dublin Corporation (the forerunner of Dublin City Council) embarked on an ambitious campaign of rebuilding the city’s main thoroughfare and alleviating high levels of poor and unsanitary housing. The renaming of streets
and state buildings after Irish cultural and political figures was an important, and cost effective, visual gesture of national pride, that recast the cities as symbols of political independence. Design activity played a crucial role in visualising this new political autonomy. Definitive stamps, coinage and variety of printed emphera as issued by the state synthesised historical references within contemporary idioms, giving popular expression to the change in political status. A growth in what we would now consider to be ‘graphic design’ activities saw new advertising
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companies appearing in Dublin. However, the need or desire to advertise Irish products was limited until the 1950’s as protectionist economics policies limited the competition for Irish goods to compete either nationally or internationally. An emphasis on the economic benefits of tourism had a crucial impact on the trajectory of design practice. This awareness can be traced back to the 1940’s with the realisation that the tourism industry could supplant agriculture as the principal indigenous industry. As mass emigration and high unemployment figures defined the 1950’s, there was a distinct growth in design activity, allied to tourism development. This was most evident in the area of graphic design where Dutch designers from KLM were imported to work on an ambitious advertising campaign for Aer Lingus. As the decade progressed, these designers worked for many tourism-related companies including Bord Fáilte and John Hinde, in addition to working for a host of indigenous companies, including Guinness and RTÉ. They were also active in promoting the advertising industry which continued to expand with the establishment of the Institute of Creative Advertising in 1958 (now ICAD). As a flag carrier, and thus, official agent of state, Aer Lingus became hugely significant in how Ireland and Irish design were viewed internationally. It became a locus for the promotion of quality Irish goods as exemplified by the design of crew uniforms, the examples of Irish ceramics, glass and textiles used in its service provision, and its promotion of Irish design in the pages of its in-flight magazine, Cara. This visual timeline covers the periods of Modernism to Postmodernism and various design styles and influences contained
Emergence
with in each era and shows how interactions of style and influences relate to each other. This poster is a visual representation of major design milestones of the 20th and early part of the 21st century and identifies key design practitioners active and influential in each decade. It identifies the multidisciplinary nature of design and highlights major design disciples including: Vehicle Design; Architecture; Product & Industrial Design and Visual Communication & Graphic Design. This is a infographic charts design’s relationship with culture and history. Literature from national and international sources were investigated in order to develop a multi-disciplinary approach in identify key moments in design history and how this relates to current world and national historical events, and events within poplar culture. These influences are mapped against key design artefacts of the period and how colour is utilised within each decade. The time line looks at design in both an international and and Irish context and charts key design moments from the foundation of the state right up to the Year
Impact at Home
once visualised, patterns themes and influences can be identified. Notably, from an international view, the Influence of Dieter Rams’ work on Jonathan Ive and how in Ireland, government reports on the design sector had lead to representation and action within industry. The example here of Scandinavian report in 1962 which led to the foundation of Kilkenny Design Workshop in 1963 and Enterprise Ireland’s Opportunities in Design in 1999 led to Design Ireland being founded a year later. One such example is the Aer Lingus travel bag owned by Frank Aiken while he was Minister for External Affairs (195769). This is a family-owned object, of deep personal significance, but reveals a much broader story of national significance. Aer Lingus launched its transatlantic route in 1958, which was a monumental achievement for the country. Aiken regularly used this service and the
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bag is a reminder of his work at the United Nations in New York and through him, Ireland’s substantial impact on world politics. For Aiken this was a utilitarian object, used to carry the newspapers he read while travelling from Dublin to New York. Yet, he wrote his name on it - as Gaeilge (PMcA) and in pencil so it was clearly an object that he valued. Dutch designer Jan de Fouw’s sketches for a series of Aer Lingus posters are also dearly cherished family-owned objects. They were submitted by de Fouw’s son, Jan, and also reflect broader stories tied to the national airline.
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The album Adaption and Renewal/ The Faith of Easter (1969) submitted by Brian McMahon - was also designed by Dutch immigrant graphic designer. Cor Klaasen designed a series of thirty LPs of Catholic sermons and spoken word, released by the Mercier Press in Cork (1967-71). These recordings, by liberal Catholic clerics, show the Church using the contemporary technology of vinyl records to spread its doctrine at a time when Catholicism was very much ingrained in the daily life of most Irish citizens. The album cover’s abstract illustrations in black, white and orange would be striking in any context, but here this graphic modernism is used to visually represent a modernising Catholic Church in the wake of Pope Paul VI’s Vatican II (1962-65) reforms. Klaasen’s name may not be widely known but his work is recognisable to generations of Irish people who were in secondary school between 1969 and 2000. He designed covers for many school textbooks including the poetry anthology Soundings, an example of which was submitted to National Treasures by Fintan O’Higgins. The cover of this book again uses an abstract, graphic modernism to represent the intangible (the spoken word). So many of us read this book on an almost daily basis, scribbled notes in its margins, probably loved and loathed it in equal measure. With the benefit of hindsight (and more than a little nostalgia) it reminds so many of us of our school experiences and due to popular demand, Soundings was reissued in 2010.Klaasen designed many other books for the educational publisher Gill and Macmillan (including the prose anthology Exploring English) and his work demonstrates how designed objects are at the very heart of
Emergence
everyday Irish life. Designing for and by women. These examples of are only some of the many objects submitted to National Treasures that shed light on lesser-known aspects of Irish culture or offer alternative interpretations of our collective history. On many occasions, the project reminded how the experiences of Irish women are central to understanding much broader national stories. A case in point is the electric ironing board, an object that was handed down to Siobhan Long by her mother and is still used on a daily basis. It was a prize in a baking competition in the 1960s, sponsored by AET of Dunleer, County Louth. This indigenous company that no longer exists, but at the time it was Ireland’s largest domestic appliance manufacturer. Again, this is a very personal object but it points to a much bigger story of infrastructural modernisation and its impact. The hydro-electrical station at Ardnacrusha in Co. Clare had been completed in 1929, and the Rural Electrification Programme was rolled out nationally between 1946-79. In 1946 only one in three homes in Ireland had electricity and to encourage its use, the ESB and the manufacturers of domestic appliances, regularly held such competitions awarding prizes of ironing boards, hair dryers and other electrical devices. On many occasions, the project reminded how the experiences of Irish women are central to understanding much broader national stories. An ironing board would have been a novelty at the time, but this one is even more so as it plugs into the mains and the iron is placed on it to heat. On one hand, it points to a typical domestic experience to which many can relate. However, it also reveals much bigger stories: the spread of electricity throughout Ireland from the 1950s onwards; electricity’s
Impact at Home
modernisation of the Irish home; forgotten Irish industries; and the use of such competitions to showcase the household management skills of future wives. Such competitions emphasised society’s expectation of Irish women. This, for example, was divided into two categories of participants: ‘single women’ of 17-25 and ‘married women’, each given different baking tasks to prove or confirm their competencies. In the 1960s the ESB sponsored the television show of Ireland’s first celebrity cook, Maura Laverty. At the time Laverty’s cookbook Full and Plenty (1960) was very popular and became a standard text used in schools as part of the domestic science curriculum. The National Treasures copy was originally a schoolbook and was submitted by its owner Mary Morrissey. Her mother subsequently used it, inserting additional recipes between its pages. Full and Plenty opens with the line ‘Cooking is the poetry of housework. It combines household management advice with fiction and memoir, reflecting the fact that Laverty was a journalist, novelist and scriptwriter (she wrote Ireland’s first soap opera, Tolka Row). Recipes, including those for stew, soda bread and boxty, were interspersed with satirical stories of women securing husbands through their culinary skills. Colour photographs of the final dishes, and black and white illustrations of ingredients and kitchen utensils, pepper the pages as visual references. The book also became a key reference for those, and there were many at the time, running a household on a tight budget. From 1961, the ESB also sponsored the annual Ploughing Championships. This was designed to encourage the electrification (and thus modernisation) of farming, A rubber and glass breast pump
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manufactured by Fannin and Co, a medical supplier on Dublin’s Grafton Street, also indirectly references farming. Submitted by Eithne Lynch and used between 1921 and 1931, it enabled Eithne’s grandmother – who married a farmer - to juggle the task of rearing a young family with keeping on top of her farming commitments. On one hand it’s an example of an early Irish medical device and demonstrates design entrepreneurialism. But it again encourages us to think about national stories: about how a technology derived from dairy farming was adapted to human usage, about how the introduction of such devices to express breast milk saved the lives of children separated from their mothers, of how the balance of family and work life that women still struggle with today has a earlier precedents The employment experiences of Irish women outside the home or farm need greater analysis and consideration. Barry Curtin’s War of Independence grenade shell, for example, points to a discrete chapter in Irish history within which women were central. The bomb was manufactured from a mold subversively made at the Ford factory in Cork. The factory had been established in 1917 and was one of Cork’s biggest employers until it closed in 1984. This grenade shell would have been filled with explosives, held in place by a trigger pin. Its shape was based on a design patented by grenade designer William Mills in 1915, who was working at the Mills Munition Factory in Birmingham. Its distinctive and deep exterior grooves provided a secure grip for those that used it and it was widely used during WW1. The men who made the mold for the shell were Ford factory employees. They are thought to have used their
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“ It was important that Ireland presented itself as a successful and thriving state as soon as possible following all the hardships it went through to gain independence in the first place while also showing a traditional image..� - Megan Griffin
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The captions would be in 8pt on 10pt in Arnhem Pro SemiBold.
knowledge of casting car engines in the production of this weapon. This may well be the case but the main source for bomb-making knowledge in Ireland during the revolutionary period came from women. Five British War Department munitions factories operated in Cork, Dublin, Galway and Waterford, supplying British troops during WW1. In addition, there were many other privately owned munitions factories dotted across the country, including in Cork. The workers in these factories were mostly female and working class. They were often referred to as ‘Bomb Girls’ and
during the War of Independence they liberally shared their expert knowledge of making explosives and weapons with Irish revolutionaries. Therefore, women were at the heart of the guerrilla activity that defined the period from 1919-21 and it is likely that the men casting these grenade shells were reliant on their knowledge. These designed and mass-manufactured objects reveal only some of the many discrete or hidden stories that National Treasures has unearthed. As a design historian, this has been a dream job: I’ve met amazing people who have generously shared their
stories and given insight into our collective cultural history as told through the objects they cherish and hold dear. Through these personal mementos, National Treasures has offered many opportunities to look at how our history as a nation has been captured, to note the gaps in our collective knowledge and to think about how we might add to our history in the future. These objects are literally the fabric of our society.
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21st Century Ireland
21st Century Ireland The political climate from which these objects emerged is paramount in contextualising their visual messages. Economic failure had positioned Ireland in marked contrast to the fast-recovering economies of post-Second World War Europe and intense scrutiny of the economic failings of nationbuilding crystallised the Irish government’s decision to apply for EEC membership in 1961. As Minister for Industry and Commerce for some 21 years between 1932 and 1959, the influence of Fianna Fáil’s Seán Lemass is hugely significant to this study. While his support for the
economic policies of Department of Finance Secretary T.K.Whitaker, from 1958 onwards, has been well documented, his understanding of how design practice supports economic activity, particularly with regard to the international promotion of Irish goods and services, has been less fully explored. In fact Lemass’s acknowledgement of such extends back as far as 1937, when he established a committee ‘to advise on matters affecting the design and decorations of articles’, and O’Neill was well-known to have Fianna Fáil connections. Unsurprisingly, the
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decision to employ Dutch design expertise to work on the account of what Lemass considered was the achievement ‘for which he would like to be remembered’, coincides with his return as minister to the office of Industry and Commerce in 1951. Significantly, it also came two years after the publication of the Report on the Arts in Ireland by Thomas Bodkin (former Director of the National Gallery of Ireland), which, in a scathing assessment of the links between art and industry in Ireland, singled out Irish tourism advertising for particular criticism, stating that: Both design and typography are unusually neglected in modern Ireland. So, I would suggest that a few outstanding foreign firms... should be given the opportunity to re-design and re-set, according to their own high standards, some half dozen of the existing folders, if only to provide models for Irish productions. Within this timeframe also, the Department of Industry and Commerce published The Synthesis of Reports on Tourism, 1950–51. More commonly known as the Christenberry Report, it formally acknowledged the Irish tourism industry as an under–exploited source of potential revenue.[13] The report authored under Daniel Morrissey, Minister of Industry and
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Commerce in the Inter–Party Government but supported by his successor, Lemass made observations and recommendations about the industry as a whole and reflected contemporary American political discourse on Irish economic development in the wake of Ireland’s receipt of Marshall Aid funding. Placing particular emphasis on advertising and promotional activities to attract the lucrative US market, it was highly critical of the existing provision and stated that both public and private agencies the Irish Tourist Board and Irish Tourist Association respectively were ‘completely inadequate to handle the important mission to which they are assigned that of actively promoting tourism to Ireland from abroad’. By 1951 Lemass was fully convinced of the importance of tourism development to Ireland’s economic future. Addressing a public gathering in Cork he stated that tourism ‘ranked second only to agriculture as the nation’s most important industry’, suggesting that it was ‘big business’ on which the country’s welfare depended but it ‘could be made much bigger business’. The Christenberry Report made many suggestions as to how potential tourists might be targeted through specific references,
It is thanks to the architects, designers and illustrators who have provided tangible evidence in the form of objects, that the Irish people and those beyond Irish borders, know the values of the Irish but more importantly, know the answer to the question - ‘who are we’.
21st Century Ireland
including the friendliness of the people, castles and fishing, and such suggestions are directly reflected in the objects scrutinised here. [16] As a representative example of Aer Lingus’s advertising output these reveal the duality of the company’s role at this time, where, in a climate of mass emigration and unemployment, its position as transportation agent was often subordindated to its responsibility as de facto tourist authority. Aer Lingus’s dependence on indigenous tourism development marks it as different to other European airlines of the period, and the complexity of the airline’s role in promoting both its services, and Irish tourist development more generally, reflects specific national circumstances. Comments by Aer Lingus’s general manager, J.F. Dempsey, in 1958 are particularly revealing in this regard. In comparing the strategies of the Irish airline in targeting the lucrative US market he stated: Other European airlines in some advertising and publicity carry no reference to the attractions of their own countries. Alitalia sell Tel Aviv, Swissair sell Cologne, BOAC/BEA sell Brussels and so on. But these airlines do so because the primary promoters of tourist traffic in those countries have in the first instance created the desire in American minds to visit their countries while the airlines are meeting the demand and incidentally playing a useful but secondary role in promoting additional traffic. Clear distinction between the airline and the tourist authorities was further confused by the frequent use of the same pool of Dutch designers, while the practice within the sector of jointly commissioning promotional material and the shared operation of tourist bureaux in certain countries became commonplace. Melai’s poster stylistically and compositionally
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The captions would be in 8pt on 10pt in Arnhem Pro SemiBold.
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follows Henry in dividing the poster into two distinct parts: text and image. In such examples the image is treated as an independent painting that text is added adjacent to, but usually not integrated with, reflecting the appropriation of the image from a fine art to commercial context. While Henry favoured unpopulated landscapes or the subordination of human activity to the geographical drama of the sublime landscape, Melai’s image focuses on a single figure. In presenting a specific aspect of rural life on the western seaboard, which had, by the 1950s, become
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emblematic of discourses of tradition and ethnicity, the poster can be read as reflecting discourses of exoticism, pre-modernity and difference recognisable to both internal and external audiences and thus exemplifies Eric Cohen’s definition of ‘native’ people as ‘indigenous, minority groups of a country, which are generally believed to enjoy a significant degree of separate ethnic, cultural or social identity.’ The visualisation of cultural difference is of particular relevance here, as the poster was commissioned to coincide with the launch of An Tóstal in 1953, the
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21st Century Ireland
‘Festival of the Welcomes’, aimed at targeting the Irish- American diaspora. The image is a deliberate attempt to visualise an ‘Irish national costume’ reflecting the growing export market for Aran sweaters in the US while simultaneously reflecting the author’s self-professed love of the west. Yet, read as a synecdoche for Ireland in a more general sense, the twoversions of the poster, one customised by Aer Lingus to include an aeroplane screen-printed across the top and the other for Fogra Fáilte without, infer oppositional meanings, simultaneously suggesting that Ireland can provide both an antidote to and engagement with modernity. As with many Aer Lingus publicity images the poster effectively demonstrates Luke Gibbons’ thesis that tradition does not exclusively reside in the past. IWhen customised by Aer Lingus the image demonstrates a strategy that Jeffrey Meikle has identified within European and US airline ephemera of the inter-war period where modernity is placed within a ‘historical continuum linking past, present and future naturalizing modernity and neutralizing its strangeness’ and alleviating fears of social disruption. In synthesising the twin abstractions that Geertz has identified as epochalism and essentialism, this poster demonstrates how Aer Lingus straddled a fine line between facilitating existing tourist expectations that frequently centred on discourses of premodernity and authenticity, while also referencing its own function as a potent expression of modernity. It is this nuance that distinguishes Aer Lingus from other Irish tourism agents, which often favoured an emphasis on tradition at the expense of modernity. Significantly, the poster also demonstrates the
influence of Melai with regard to establishing and normalising certain visual themes within the Irish tourism industry; when compared to David Noble’s postcard for the John Hinde company, for example authored some sixteen years later the content and composition of the illustrative image clearly provides an archetype for its photographic equivalent. In order for Ireland to prove that it was a thriving independent nation it chose architectural developments which not only held a function (i.e transportation and electricity) but through international style, also symbolised modern Ireland’s place in the modern world. These drastic changes in appearance were balanced with imagery and advertisements that would be familiar to the Irish eye. Hyper - nationalism manifested itself in the exaggeration of traditional Irish life, such as imagery of the mythological hero Cuchulainn and weaving of the crios belt. When these images of essentialism are not used, developments such as the modern Busaras are viewed differently and negatively. I believe the architect’s Scott, Fitzgerald and Siemens-Schuckert- at Ardnacrusha- all had a role in fulfilling technological and modern advancements as envisioned by the state required artists like Melai and Brewster to make the connection of these things to the Irish people. It is thanks to the architects, designers and illustrators who have provided tangible evidence in the form of objects, that the Irish people and those beyond Irish borders, know the values of the Irish but more importantly, know the answer to the question - ‘who are we’.
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Event Management
Event Management Talks
Opening Night Our opening night is on the 14th of June 2020 at 8:00pm. All members of SFMOMA are welcome as well as 200 people on top of this. If you want more infromation on how to have a chance to have your place at our opening night please email emergence.ireland@sfmoma.com by 20th of May. Our opening night will have there is who could be and is apart of our exhibition. From the Stone Twins to Dr. Linda King, we will have a Question and Answer opportunity. The night will have drinks and canapees as well as live bands and muscicieans which reflect the past and presence
amalgamation of irish - american music. The night will be the first opening of the immersive four dementional rural west of Ireland landscape room in which there will be a profesisonal photographer to capture, for many, their first steps on ‘irish’ soil. As well as this experience, their will be a tutorial from our experience irish screenprinter Oran to show how you can make your own screenprints in the style of Guus Melai’s Aer lingus posters.
Throughout the weeks of this exhibit we are excited to welcome lots of irish designers to give their persecetive to the SFMOMA on various dicsission points and pieces that are displayed in this exhibition. They are as follows; Linda King 16th of June, The Stone Twins 18th of June, Max Phillips 22nd of June, Elain Sisson 6th of July, Perry Ogden 10th of July. For more info on our talks please visit emergence@sfmoma.com
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Workshops Our programmes at SFMOMA in screen printing and risograph are taught by passionate and fun printers and artists who have years of experience behind them, and now we are excited to welcome IADT screenprinters to give us an Irish take on what you will be creating. We will have excellent printmaking facilities and we keep our classes small so students can enjoy more interaction with their tutor and classmates and ensure they get the best print results. The elements ofthe screenprints will be taken from the Guss Melai Aer Lingus posters; however you get to choose the
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Tickets composition, colour and on what you print on. For free you can print on quality A3 ivory card and if you are looking for more we have plain totes (green and cream), tea towels and stationary items. The ultimate take away from an exhibtion as immersive and rememorable as this one.
Everyone in your party must have a ticket. Tickets purchased in advance may be exchanged for a $5 fee; expired tickets cannot be exchanged. For group ticket exchanges, go to Group Visits. No refunds. Mobility devices are allowed; loaner wheelchairs and cane chairs are available at coat check on a first-come, first-served basis. For special exhibitions, Individual members can book up to 8 free tickets over the run of an exhibition. Dual members and above can book up to 16.
For general questions about your visit, please call 415.357.4000. For questions about member tickets or membership, visit our Member FAQ or call 415.357.4135.
Bibliography ”Ardnacrusha Generating Station”. E sb.Ie, 2019, https://www.esb.ie/docs/ default-source/education-hub/ardnacrusha-power-station. Accessed 1 Nov 2019. Brown, Terence. I reland: A Social And Cultural History. Fontana Press, 1990. Geertz, Clifford. T he Interpretation Of Cultures. Basic Books, Publishers, Inc., 1973, p. 263. Harbison, Peter et al. Irish Art And Archiecture. 1st ed., Thames And Hudson, 1993, pp. 241 - 244. “International Style – Art Term | Tate”. Tate, https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artterms/i/international-style. Accessed 8 Nov 2019. I reland, STABLE. “Irish Linen, Wool And Cashmere. Luxury Shopping And Gifts In Dublin.”. S TABLE Of Ireland, 2019, https://www.stableofireland.com/. Accessed 27 Nov 2019. King, Linda, and Elaine Sisson. Ireland, Design And Visual Culture. Cork University Press, 2011. Larmour, Paul. Modern Movement Architecture In Ireland. Gandon, 2019, p. 66. Loeber, Rolf et al. Art And Architecture Of Ireland. 1st ed., Royal Irish Academy, pp. 1, 112-114. “Modernism – Art Term | Tate”. Tate, https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artterms/m/modernism. Accessed 2 Nov 2019. N/A. “Minister Donohoe Launches Design Island Photographic Exhibition At Dublin Airport”. Irish Design 2015 - ID2015, 2019, http://www. irishdesign2015.ie/news/single/minister-donohoe-launches-design-islandphotogr aphic-exhibition-at-dublin-a/press. Accessed 30 Nov 2019. Rothery, Sean. Ireland And The New Architecture 1900-1940. 1st ed., The Lilliput Press, 1991, pp. 216 - 221. Rowen, Peter. D esign Ireland Exhibition / DCCOI. 2015, https://www. peterrowen.com/commision_personal. Accessed 30 Nov 2019. “Transforming Dublin Airport To Modernise Facilities, Increase Capacity And Enhance Passenger Experience”. A rup.Com, 2019, https://www.arup.com/ projects/terminal2-dublin-airport. Accessed 27 Nov 2019. Walker, Dorothy. M ichael Scott : Architect. 1st ed., Gandon, 1995, pp. 130 140