The Visual Artists’ News Sheet
ROUNDUP MOVING DEATHS
NEWS RECENT IMMA SHOWS An exhibition of paintings, watercolours, and drawings by William McKeown was recently held at IMMA (5 Nov – 4 Jan). As the press release noted “McKeown is best known for his luminous, near abstract, paintings that explore states of mind, such as happiness and freedom, and qualities of nature, like light, air and sky".
Gavin Murphy 'Moving Deaths' – exhibition view.
Running concurrently at IMMA was ‘In Praise of shadows’ which featured “works
Gavin Murphy’s ‘Moving Deaths’ at the
in the form of shadows, shadow theatres
Lab, Dublin (7 Nov – 6 Dec) featured
and silhouettes”. 'In Praise of Shadows
sculptural assemblage, video, text, and
'was inspired by the history of shadow
various forms of photography.
theatre in Turkey and Greece and
According to the press release the
featured works that were based on folk
works in the show celebrated “the
tales or simple contemporary narratives.
inevitable uncertainty that is, in a post-
Featured artists included William
enlightenment world, the reward of
Kentridge, Jockum Nordström, Kara
investigation. The result betrays a
Walker, Nathalie Djurberg, and Andrew
compulsive need to create structure and
Vickery.
order, while at the same time giving in to the notion that these very actions are futile”.
The LAB, Dublin also recently
ON at MOTHER’S
hosted ‘Krickle Krackle’ (14 Oct – 22 Nov) by Dorothy Ann Daly. DARKNESS AND LIGHT ‘Darkness and Light’, an exhibition of work by members of the lecturing staff of the Department of Creative and Performing Arts at Waterford Institute of Technology, was recently held at
Kevin Cosgrave Office. Oil on Linen. 50 x 60 cm. 2008
Waterford Regional Hospital (16 Oct – 5 Nov). The artists exhibiting in this show included Michael Beirne, Gerard Casey, Susan Connolly, Pat Cunningham, Fiona
Mother’s Tankstation re-opened after their summer break with ‘The Untitled First Album’ Kevin Cosgrove’s first solo exhibition (22 Oct – 15 Nov). The press
Dowling, Ben Reilly, Joy Rooney, Tony
release
Ryan, Lorenzo Tonti, Mary-Ruth Walsh,
“relatively traditional upbringing in a
Mairin Grant, Joe Hunt, Reiltin Murphy,
mining community in the central
Sheila Naughton, John O’Connor and
heartlands of Ireland has instilled a
Martin Quigley.
strong sense of survival, craft and
explained
that
Cosgrove’s
industry into his skilfully austere and THIS RATHER THAN
muted canvases of under-populated
Galway Arts Centre recently held ‘This
workplaces:
Rather Than…’ a group exhibition
industrial yards and offices.”
featuring five Graduates from GMIT,
More
factories, recently
workshops, the
venue
Institute of Technology, Sligo, Limerick
presented‘Northland’ a solo exhibition
School of Art and Design and Crawford
by the Australian painter Noel McKenna
College of Art & Design (2 Oct – 1 Nov).
(19 Nov – 20 Dec). As the gallery notes
The show was curated by Russell Hart – a
explained “McKenna’s apparently naïve,
Galway based independent curator. The
small-scale paintings on plywood panels
exhibition featured work in a range of
are pervasively occupied by silence, yet
media including print, video, painting
not peace. They delicately search out
and sculpture.
societal cracks and schisms, prising them
The participating artists were
a little further apart until they start to
Rebecca Massey, Selma Makela, Damien
leak whispers of the disquiet contained
O’Connell, Donal Moloney, and Eva
therein.”
Maher. This exhibition coincided with ‘An Absence of Evidence is Not Evidence of Absence’ a solo exhibition by Maeve Curtis in gallery 3.
www.motherstankstation.com
SINKS AND RESERVOIRS ‘Sinks & Reservoirs’, an exhibition of new work from Alan Boardman was recently presented at the Crow Gallery, Dublin
LUAN AN TSLEIBHE ‘Luan an tSléibhe’, a new body of work by Geraldine O’Neill was exhibited recently at Draiocht (3 Oct – 22 Nov). O’Neill’s practice was described a being “defined by a commitment to figurative and representational painting, a genre to which she brings a fresh and innovative approach”. A publication with an introduction by Brian Maguire and an essay by Medb Ruane was produced to accompany the show. www.draiocht.ie
7
January – February 2009
(28 Nov – 6 Dec). The exhibition comprised a series of photographs, digital images and paintings. Commenting on his work the artist said “the core inspiration for this new series of works comes from an interest in the structural similarities of social, economic, and biological systems. These systems are drawn together through their foundation in the laws of thermodynamics”. www.canvas.ie
News NEW SAOITHE IN AOSDÁNA In mid November, President of Ireland Mary McAleese presided at a ceremony in the Arts Council to mark the election of visual artist Camille Souter and composer Seóirse Bodley as Saoithe in Aosdána. The honour of Saoi is bestowed for singular and sustained distinction in the arts.
has produced public art pieces for cities across the UK and has exhibited worldwide. Buttress intends to encourage input from local people living near the landmark sculpture. He will be holding creative workshops with groups from the Greater Village and St James’ areas of Belfast.
www.davyportraitawards.com
ART & ARCHITECTURE OF IRELAND Art and Architecture of Ireland is a new major project which will be undertaken by The Royal Irish Academy (RIA). The aim of the project is the creation of a comprehensive history of Irish Art and Architecture to be published in five volumes covering the years 400 – 2000. The publications will deal with the Island of Ireland as a whole and will involve liaison with relevant institutions, including the Ulster Museum, Queen’s University, Belfast and the University of Ulster. www.ria.ie
RISE FOR BELFAST A design plan for the biggest public art sculpture in Belfast, to be situated at a main gateway to the city, was unveiled recently. Rise will be built at Broadway Roundabout by the artist Wolfgang Buttress and will stand at 123ft high by 98.4ft wide. The globe shaped white and silver aluminum sculpture – a representation of a new sun rising to celebrate a new chapter in the history of Belfast – should be visible from several miles away when it is constructed in 2009. Wolfgang Buttress was selected after competition from more than 40 artists from Ireland, the United Kingdom and internationally. An experienced artist and sculptor from Birmingham, he
www.imma.ie
www.belfastcity.gov.uk
THE CURFEW TOWER MEMORIAL FOR DEFENCE FORCES
Throughout 2009 Void. Derry will have full curatorial responsibility for The
www.artscouncil.ie
DAVY PORTRAIT WINNERS Davy, provider of stock broking, wealth management and financial advisory services, has awarded Dublin based artist Joe Dunne with first prize in the inaugural Davy Portrait Awards for his work ‘Portrait of Cara’. The awards, in association with Arts & Business, were open to artists working in traditional and nontraditional media across Ireland. The judging panel comprised Royal Hibernian Academy President Stephen McKenna, Royal Ulster Academy President Rita Duffy and international art critic and writer Gemma Tipton. Belfast-born Martin Wedge picked up second prize for his oil on canvas portrait entitled Figure C3.10. Third prize was awarded to Gary Coyle for a charcoal on paper portrait of his father. The winning works can be viewed alongside 21 other shortlisted paintings selected from over 300 entries at the inaugural Davy Portrait Awards exhibition at the Naughton Gallery in Belfast until 31 Jan 2009. The exhibition will move to the Farmleigh Gallery in Dublin in March 2009.
BRIEF CLOSURE FOR IMMA The Irish Museum of Modern Art will be closed for renovations from Monday 12 January to Monday 2 February 2009 inclusive. This is due to upgrading work being carried out on the building’s electrical supply. The Museum’s café and bookshop will also remain closed.
Curfew Tower, Cushendall, Co Antrim. The Tower is owned by Bill Drummond who has set up the ‘In You We Trust’ that offers short-term residencies for artists in the Tower. The Curfew Tower was built in Brian King. Memorial to the Defence Forces. 2008.
A memorial to members of the Defence Forces who died in service was unveiled on Saturday 6 November in Merrion Square, Dublin by President Mary McAlees. The memorial, designed by artist Brian King, was the winning entry in an international competition. It depicts members of the Army, Navy, Air Corps and Reserve cast in bronze standing guard over an eternal flame that emanates from the Defence Forces Badge at the centre of the structure. The work is installed near the corner of Merrion Square South and Merrion Square West in Archbishop Ryan Park, Dublin 2. President Mary McAleese led the unveiling ceremony, which was attended by Taoiseach Brian Cowen, Minister for Defence Willie O’Dea, and families and Defence Force comrades of deceased personnel. Artist Brian King was born in Dublin in 1942. He studied in the National college of Art and Design in Dublin where he lectured for a number of years and, and then became the Head of the Department of Sculpture from 1984 –2004. More info on Brian King can be found on his website. www.sculpture.ie
RHA ANNUAL AWARDS Painter Comhghall Casey is the winner of the Hennessy Craig Scholarship Worth €12,000 for his painting Red Bicycle. The award is given each year to a painter under the age of 35 years who exhibits in the open submission section of the RHA Annual Exhibition. In addition painters Ann Quinn & Majec Bedkowski both received subsidiary awards of €2,500 as part of this award. Other award winners included the inaugural Bank of Scotland (Ireland) and Irish Arts Review Photographic Portrait Prize of €6,000 awarded to Patrick Donald for his photograph Fairground Scene, Cuba; The RHA Sculpture Award of €10,000 awarded to Janet Mullarney for her work Earthly Creatures and The De Veres Award of €3,000 for a first time exhibitor awarded to Kim Cunningham for her work Tea Dancers No. 1. In all 20 artists’ awards were awarded worth a total of €75,500 in an award ceremony in the Royal Hibernian Academy on Sunday 9 November 2008. Full details on the website. www.royalhibernianacademy.com
1817, to confine riotous prisoners. The Tower is 20 feet square, tapered, and rises four storeys to a height of 40 feet, topped by modest battlements. The Tower hosts small single bedrooms, so not more than two artists can stay at any one time. Residencies are for periods of no less than a week and generally no more than three weeks. Void is inviting artists to submit applications for 2009. www.derryvoid.com
RUA RED TO OPEN IN FEB The official launch of RUA RED, South County Dublin’s new centre for creativity, will take place from 5 to 8 February 2009. Based in Tallaght, RUA RED represents an investment of almost €10 million in cultural facilities by South Dublin County Council. The centre host galleries, performance space, music rooms, incubators and artists’ studios and aims to be a creative hub for the arts community to make, present and disseminate work. The 4-day celebratory launch programme includes exhibitions, performances, hands-on workshops and tours of the facilities and will be marked by an exhibition ‘House Warming’ co-curated by Ruairí Ó Cuív and Cliodhna Shaffrey and presenting work by artists Jesse Jones, John Jones, Vera Klute, Clare Langan, Sean Lynch, Bea McMahon, Liam O’Callaghan and Beth O’Halloran. In addition 6 artist studios will become available for rent from February 2009. If you would like more information on the facilities or to apply for a space please email events@ruared.ie. Deadline for applications is 30 January 2009. www.ruared.ie
JOY GALLERY AT REDSPACE RedSpace is a new not-for-profit, artistled initiative located in Dublin City Centre comprising work spaces, artists' studios, a gallery, recording studio and a rehearsal space.It was established with the aim of providing a supporting environment for creativity and crosscollaboration at the intersection of art, technology, music and media. RedSpace is home to The Joy Gallery, a not-for-profit art space focussing on experimental art, music/art cross-collaborations and new media work. The current exhibition ‘Life at The Joy Gallery’ presents the work of the artists Laura de Burca, Oisin Byrne, Fiona Hallinan, Ruth Lyons, Rachel Ni Chuinn,