Irish Arts Review, Summer 2007
Gary Coyle’s winning portrait at the RHA Annual Exhibition is an accomplished work infused with ominous undertones, argues Donal Maguire
The motifs within Peter Wenger’s batik work reflect the indelible influence of the Irish climate and its ancient culture, writes Douglas Sealy ahead of his exhibition in Kilkenny this August
By utilising key aspects of photography, focus and light, Kathy Prendergast has created a series of ethereal watercolours for her exhibition at the Kerlin Gallery this June, writes Judith Wilkinson
Mike Fitzpatrick introduces the intriguing world of Gerard Byrne, a film-maker/photographer whose work reflects on the interplay between documentary accuracy and dramatisation.
Ciarán Bennett previews ‘Returning’, an ambitious show of sixty new paintings at the Highlanes Gallery, Drogheda, celebrating painterly skills, and aptly so, as all four artists are recent winners of the Hennessy Craig Scholarship
Gerry Gleason tells Brian McAvera how his use of symbol and metaphor is a visual tactic designed to draw the viewer into an engagement with his painting that transcends the parochial
Mic Moroney explores the life and times of Lucian Freud through his paintings on view this summer at IMMA
Brian Fallon examines the career of Melanie le Brocquy, whose practice, while intimate in scale, eloquently captures the subtle dynamics of gesture and pose
Tony Corey’s collection of portraits documenting the mise en scène of artists at work is infused with a psychological insight, writes Brian McAvera
David Clarke’s fascination with the bullfight began after an idyllic period spent in Spain; the theme resurfaced in his later work when it became a metaphor for survival, writes Fiana Griffin
Patricia Butler selects a number of the finest examples of floras from the library collection at the National Botanic Gardens, Dublin
One happy but largely unsung result of Ireland’s prosperity has been the creation of quite spectacular new art centres in provincial towns, Louise Cotter has visited three of them in Thurles, Navan and Drogheda
Building Design Partnership’s Health Sciences Building serves the University of Limerick by introducing a new aesthetic and establishing an experimental tone, writes Judith Hill
Exuberance and invention are synonymous with the ceramic art of John ffrench who is honoured this year with a lifetime achievement exhibition in Kilkenny, writes Peter Lamb
Gerlad Kenyon reviews the valuable compendium of Irish furniture in the recent publication Irish Furniture by Desmond FitzGerald and James Peill
Eleanor Flegg discusses the work of Denis Brown, chosen by a panel of experts on behalf of the Crafts Council of Ireland to recognise consistency in design excellence
Van Gogh’s Rooftops in Paris is a transitional work, showing early signs of his later, signature brushwork, argues Adriaan E Waiboer
