Sheila Rennick’s new paintings acknowledge the darker themes of contemporary life, Donal Maguire discovers, ahead of her solo show at Hillsboro Fine Art, Dublin
Irish art has benefited from the perceived prosperity of the last decade, it is difficult for one to say. The sudden influx of capital over-inflated the domestic art market, yet, it buoyed a burgeoning contemporary art scene that was interesting, ambitious and dynamic. However, amid the excess and unregulated progress of the period, a trend in the visual arts emerged that was ironically retrospective and focused on the aesthetics of the hand-made artwork. In particular, there was a significant re-evaluation of the practice of painting, which had become somewhat marginalized by video and installation art.
Ahead of Dragana Jurisic’s solo show at the RHA in September we republish Stephanie McBride’s examination of the photographer’s 2011 show at the Droichead Arts Centre, studies of urban survival taken during the Celtic Tiger years, revealing Ireland’s struggling society.
Paul Larmour visits the new theatre, which he describes as a boon for the dramatic arts and the most exciting building in Belfast