Cathy's Art Diary

Bright exhibition at the Hugh Lane Gallery in Dublin of new work by Richard Gorman. For once I did like the commentary for this contemporary art show which did make me think about what painting means. I loved a description that it was the manipulation of colour, form and metaphor on a flat plain. The works were large, geometric abstracts in bright colours. I loved how they were hung low on the walls so you walked among them. I also liked the last room with featured circles of colour on paper. Closes 20 August 2023

Strange exhibition at the Hugh Lane Gallery in Dublin of new purchases and bequests. I only say strange because the works were spread throughout the gallery among other works from the collection and I didn’t realise they were a show for a while. It would have been nice to have a bit more information on their acquisitions policy to accompany the works. That said there were some lovely pieces. My favourite was this stunning picture of Naples Harbour by Stephen McKenna which really drew you towards it. There was also a bold Gillian Ayres work called Cusp II. Representing older art there was a lovely portrait of a woman reading by Katherine McCausland. Closes 30 August 2023    

Interesting exhibition at the Hugh Lane Gallery in Dublin looking at Irish art from around the creation of the Irish Free State in 1922. I thought the show was going to be more about the people and events of 1922 and after but it was more about Irish art of the time and how it helped forge an Irish identity and broke artistic moulds. It is a period of art I loved so it was fascinating to see how styles developed in another country with a different political background. I loved the Jack Yeats pictures. I always forget how good he was as you don’t seem to see his work in English shows. It also featured a number of female artists I’d not come across before such as Mary Swanzy and Grace Henry. Runs through 2023

Fascinating exhibition at the Hugh Lane Gallery in Dublin of work by John Beattie responding to Mondrian. The centre price was a video of the reconstruction of Mondrian’s studio. Unfortunately it was a hour long but I dipped in and out a few times. In rooms either side were large black and white photographs of squares from Mondrian pictures. Rather clever to take the colour out of the pieces and yet you knew what they were. As the gallery has Francis Bacon’s studio it spoke to the wider collection. Closes 8 August 2023