LONDON IRISH ART 2015
INTRODUCTION
We are pleased to announce that London Irish Art 2015 will be officially launched by the Minister for Diaspora, Jimmy Deenihan TD and the Ambassador of Ireland, Dan Mulhall at 6pm on the evening of Thursday 15 January. From 15 – 17 January the work of over forty Irish visual artists will occupy the impressive 3000 square feet of space of Central Hall Westminster. London Irish Art 2015 endeavours to explore the personal understanding and the experience of the Irish diaspora living in the U.K., specifically in relation to culture, identity and creativity. A dynamic programme of art, poetry and music, will inform this e×citing investigation. A vast array of media will be explored, ranging from traditional forms of painting, photography and sculpture to more contemporary means of expression such as video work, mixed media, installation and stop-motion animation. The exhibition will proudly present works by the celebrated Irish artists Louis Le Brocquy, Robert Ballagh, John Kingerlee, the recent winner of the RHA Sean Keating Award for Outstanding Painting Francis O’Toole, as well as Irish painters James Brohan and Liam O’Neill, and renowned Irish sculptors John Behan and Aidan Harte. U.K. based Irish artists will be represented through the contemporary cutting edge work of artists such as David Blackmore, Alison Lowry, Kyle Barnes, Donol Moloney, Aisling Drennan and Patricia Volk. As London holds the largest Irish diaspora in the world, this exhibition endeavours to represent an on-going dialogue between these two countries. Striving to build ties and cultural relations with the Irish art scene in the U.K., this event is organised to provide artists with cross border exposure. The objective of London Irish Art 2015 is to strengthen cultural relations between Ireland and Great Britain by promoting and encouraging creativity within the ever-growing Irish artistic diaspora in London. By representing and showcasing some of Ireland’s most established and emerging artists in Ireland and the U.K., London Irish Art aspires to appear as a significant annual event on the London arts calendar. —————————————————————————————————————— London Irish Art Directors, Martin Davis and Patrick Keegan
HOW TO GET THERE
Central Hall Westminster is located on Storey’s Gate, across the road from Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament and can be easily accessed in a number of different ways. Underground —————————————————————————————————————— Westminster station – Jubilee, Circle and District lines. St James’ Park station – Circle and District lines. Victoria station – Victoria, Circle and District lines. British Rail —————————————————————————————————————— Central Hall is within easy walking distance of Victoria, Charing Cross and Waterloo mainline stations. Buses —————————————————————————————————————— Buses 11, 24, 148 and 211 pass the door. Buses 3, 12, 53, 53X, 87, 88, 109, 159 and 453 stop nearby. Airports —————————————————————————————————————— Heathrow, Gatwick, City, Stansted and Luton, all serve Central London. Car Parking —————————————————————————————————————— Public car parks operate in Abingdon Street, Horseferry Road, Rochester Row and Semley Place. There is also parking adjacent to the building on Tothill Street and Matthew Parker Street.
JIMMY DEENIHAN TD, Minister for Diaspora
I look forward to launching the exhibition. The promotion of Irish culture through the work of Irish visual artists will form a very important part of my Diaspora Strategy which is due to be launched early in the New Year.
HUGHIE O’DONOGHUE Artist
Identity and cultural memory are enduring preoccupations of my work. I was born in Manchester in 1953 but grew up in a household that was steeped in Irish culture and the memories of origin. My mother came to Manchester in 1937 and never really reconciled herself to having had to leave her home in Mayo. My father’s sense of his identity was more complex being born in Manchester but sent back to Kerry when he was three years old to be brought up by his aunt. I too have lived and worked in both England and Ireland, not by accident, but rather in search of the roots and sources of inspiration I draw upon as an artist. I am lucky enough to be of a generation where my ‘re-locations’ could be a choice rather than a necessity. History is personal and it is only through the personal and particular that we can hope to understand more universal truths. In this short talk I will try and open up some of my own history and show how this has affected my work as an artist. —————————————————————————————————————— Hughie O’Donoghue is a member of Aosdana and The Royal Academy, London. His work is represented in public and private collections around the world and in particular depth in The Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin.
GARY DUNNE London Irish Centre
The London Irish Centre is delighted to support the London Irish Art Exhibition 2015 initiative. As the largest Irish charity in London, we have two main areas of work: supporting the welfare needs of Irish people in London – often the most vulnerable, and promoting Irish arts and culture to both the Irish community and to Londoners. Support of this event fits comfortably in to the latter. Partnership is key to the London Irish Centre’s work. As well as our in-house events programme at our historic Camden HQ, we also partner with the very best arts organisations and practitioners on promoting Ireland and Irish culture across London through a vibrant events programme. It’s clear that the curators of LIA have put great thought, consideration and vision in to the selection of work for this project, the fruit of which is a diverse representation of Irish artistic talent. This breadth of programming is central to our year-round promotion of Irish arts in London. We are especially pleased to see how the organisers of this 2015 event have engaged with and supported UK-based Irish artists, which will undoubtedly help to strengthen creative and cultural partnerships across the water, both at an individual and organisational level. We wish the organising team well, and look forward to welcoming both the Irish community and London’s art-lovers to this event.
CONTENTS
B 14
—————————————————————————————————————— Robert Ballagh, IRL Kyle Barnes, UK John Behan, IRL Gemma Billington, UK David Blackmore, UK Daniel Bourke, UK Edwina Bracken, UK James Brohan, IRL
C 31
—————————————————————————————————————— Paul Emmett Costelloe, UK Paul Costelloe, UK Nicholas Costelloe, UK William Costelloe, UK
D 35
—————————————————————————————————————— Catherine Davison, UK Aisling Drennan, UK
F 38
—————————————————————————————————————— Caroline Fay, UK Martin Finnin, IRL Ann Flynn, IRL
G 44
O 75
H 45
S 82
—————————————————————————————————————— Daniel Greaney, UK
—————————————————————————————————————— Aidan Harte, IRL Sean Hillen, IRL
K 52
—————————————————————————————————————— Bernadette Keating, UK John Kingerlee, IRL Jennifer Kidd, UK
L 57
—————————————————————————————————————— Jimmy Lawlor, IRL Niall Leavy, IRL Louis Le Brocquy, IRL Alison Lowry, UK
M 64
—————————————————————————————————————— Steven Maybury, IRL Kevin McAleenan, IRL Gavan McCullough, IRL Gerard McGourty, IRL John Minihan, IRL Donol Moloney, UK Tania Mosse, UK
—————————————————————————————————————— Liam O’Neill, IRL Francis O’Toole, IRL
—————————————————————————————————————— Andreas Scholz, UK Leonard Sexton, UK Amanda Shirlow, UK
V 86
—————————————————————————————————————— John Brian Vallely, IRL Lorcan Vallely, IRL Patricia Volk, UK
W 92
—————————————————————————————————————— Brian Whelan, UK
16
B
Robert Ballagh, IRL — Ego (50×50cm Oil on Canvas)
17
B Kyle Barnes, UK — Stream (70×50cm Oil on Canvas)
18
B
John Behan, IRL — Famine Ship Galway (110×85×20cm Bronze)
19
B John Behan, IRL — Kerala Fishers (55×51×30cm Bronze)
20
B
John Behan, IRL — Famine Ship Clew Bay 1 (60×60×23cm Unique Bronze)
B
21 John Behan, IRL — Famine Shipwreck (42×42×33cm Unique Bronze)
22
B
Gemma Billington, UK — The Lone Traveller Rossbeigh, Co.Kerry (5ft×4ft Oil on Canvas)
23
B David Blackmore, UK — Jacked (200×130×120cm Wrought iron park fence and broken car jack)
24
B
Daniel Bourke, UK — Still Life Number Six (50×50cm Oil on Canvas)
B
25 Daniel Bourke, UK — Still Life Number Seven (55×65cm Oil on Canvas)
26
B
Edwina Bracken, UK — A Priori’— what does thinking about art look like? (160×160cm Oil On Wood)
B
27
Edwina Bracken, UK — A Priori’— what does thinking about art look like?(160×50×60cm Bespoke Upholstered Gallery Seat)
B
28
James Brohan, IRL — Shadows Malta (60×90cm Oil on Canvas)
B
29
James Brohan, IRL — “Mending The Nets,Armaco de Pera” (50×60cm Oil On Canvas)
30
B
James Brohan, IRL – Smithfield Market,Horse Market (75×100cm Oil On Canvas)
B
31 James Brohan, IRL – Portrait (40×50cm Oil on Canvas)
B
32
James Brohan, IRL — Monets Garden,Giverny (100×100cm Oil on Canvas)
C
33 Paul Emmett Costelloe, UK — Tower Bridge (100×75cm Oil on Canvas)
C
34
Paul Costelloe, UK — Hong Kong (65×53cm Watercolour)
C
35 Nicholas Costelloe, UK — Hammersmith Bridge (70×70cm Oil on Canvas)
C
36
William Costelloe, UK — Chair Study (50x50 cm Oil on Canvas)
D
37 Catherine Davison, UK — Singing Orchards (228×351cm Oil on Canvas)
D
38
Aisling Drennan, UK — Nine Little Observations (76×76cm Oil on Canvas)
D
39 Aisling Drennan, UK — Stripe-Tease (100×100cm Oil on Canvas)
40
F
Caroline Fay, UK — Motherbird (55×75cm Oil on Canvas)
F
41 Martin Finnin, IRL — A Vision of The Birdman (91×131cm Mixed media on Canvas)
F
42
Martin Finnin, IRL — Cuchulainn Versus Fiar Diad (90×130cm Mixed Media on Canvas)
F
43
Martin Finnin, IRL — The Rise and Fall of Nemidians (90×131cm Mixed Media on Canvas)
F
44
Martin Finnin, IRL — Tír Na Nog (120×160cm Mixed Media on Canvas)
F
45 Ann Flynn, IRL — Spring Morning, Grafton Street (40×60cm Oil on Canvas)
G
46
Daniel Greaney, UK — I Was Born To Make You Happy (100×100cm Adhesive Vinyl on Aluminium)
H
47 Aidan Harte, IRL — Extinction (66×63×81cm Bronze, 1/7)
H
48
Aidan Harte, IRL — Minotaur (100×60×77cm Bronze, 1/7)
H
49 Aidan Harte, IRL — The Farmer (20×17×35cm Bronze, 1/7)
51
H
Aidan Harte, IRL — Nymph (100×150×30cm Bronze, 1/7)
H
52
Sean Hillen, IRL — Great Cliffs of Collage Green (33×43cm Giclèe Print, 1/100)
H
53
Sean Hillen, IRL – The Oracle At O’Connell Bridge (33×43cm Giclèe Print, 1/100)
K
54
Bernadette Keating, UK — Untitled 1 (Out of a Dense Fog Series) (50×75cm Giclèe)
K
55 Bernadette Keating, UK — Untitled 2 (Out of a Dense Fog Series) (50×75cm Giclèe)
K
56
John Kingerlee, IRL — Head (29×19cm Mixed media on paper)
K
57 John Kingerlee, IRL — Man of Destiny (28×19cm Oil on Board)
K
58
Jennifer Kidd, UK — I Am Everywhere and No One (Video Installation 3 minute loop, 1/5)
59
L
Jimmy Lawlor, IRL — Call To The Wild (60×60cm Acrylic on Board)
60
L
Niall Leavy, IRL — Orage (detail) (145×155cm Watercolour and Goldleaf on Paper)
61
L Niall Leavy, IRL — Mesmerize (detail) (140×54cm Watercolour and Goldleaf on Paper)
63
L
Louis Le Brocquy, IRL – Being (119×145cm Oil on Canvas)
64
L
Alison Lowry, UK — Found (& LOST) (14×18×24cm Wa× cast, glass and found object)
65
L Alison Lowry, UK — Dolly Mixtures (32×20×5cm Relief cast glass)
M
66
Steven Maybury, IRL — Radical Lines (118×84cm Digital Print)
M
67 Kevin McAleenan, IRL — Ten Past Eleven (80×80cm Oil On Canvas)
M
68
Gavan McCullough, IRL — Colour Harmony 7 — Barley June (92×38cm Oil on Board)
M
69 Gavan McCullough, IRL — Colour Harmony 4 — Strand May (123×82cm Oil on Board)
M
70
Gerard McGourty, IRL — Parked Bicycle (60×50cm Oil on Board)
M
71
John Minihan, IRL — Samuel Beckett at Le Petit Café, Boulevard St Jacques Paris, Dec 1985 (100×100cm Photography, 1/6)
M
72
Donol Moloney, UK — Shrines (42×53cm Acrylic on Canvas)
M
73 Donol Moloney, UK — Study for Reliquary 1 (32×28cm Watercolour on Paper)
M
74
Donol Moloney, UK — Study for Reliquary 3 (25×27cm Watercolour on Paper)
M
75 Tania Mosse, UK — Storm Riders (33×18×19cm Bronze objects on Oak Plinth)
M
76
Tania Mosse, UK — Trough (36×28×19cm Bronze and Limestone on Oak Plinth)
77
O Liam O’Neill, IRL — Seamus Heaney in Toners Bog (100×75cm Oil On Canvas)
O
78
Liam O’Neill, IRL – Turfcutting (100×75cm Oil on Canvas)
79
O Liam O’Neill, IRL — First Pot Before Dawn (90×120cm Oil on Canvas)
O
80
Liam O’Neill, IRL — Ted Hughes (100×75cm Oil on Canvas)
O
81 Liam O’Neill, IRL – Around The Point Cuas (100×75cm Oil on Canvas)
O
83
Francis O’Toole, IRL — Dormit, She Sleeps (180×60cm Oil on Canvas)
S
84
Andreas Scholz, UK — Untitled (Ear) (34×39×4.5cm Pink wax and sand)
S
85 Andreas Scholz, UK — Untitled (Feet) (Dimensions variable concrete and white wax)
S
86
Leonard Sexton, UK — The City of Dis (4ft×5ft Oil on canvas)
S
87
Amanda Shirlow, UK — Burning The Candle at Both Ends (84×118cm Archivel Pigment Print on Dibond)
V
88
John Brian Vallely, IRL — Fiddle and Box Duo (Oil on Canvas 75×100cm)
V
89 John Brian Vallely, IRL — Sligo Fiddler (50×60cm Oil on Canvas)
V
90
Lorcan Vallely, IRL — Armagh Boy (40×40cm Oil and Charcoal on Canvas)
V
91 Patricia Volk, UK — Rubicon (135×56×36cm Ceramics Acrylics)
V
93
Patricia Volk, UK — Source (Red) (74×34×25cm Ceramics Acrylics)
W
94
Brian Whelan, UK — Brothers (45×60cm Mi×ed Media on Board)
W
95 Brian Whelan, UK — Subterraneans (90×90cm Mixed Media on Board)
www.londonirishart.com info@londonirishart.com Patrick Keegan +353 (86)171 9096 Martin Davis +353 (86)858 2392 —————————————————————————————————————— Catalogue Design by Clare Lynch Printed by Impress Printing Works
Catalogue Price £5