OnTheTown: The man described as "Ireland's most distinguished living painter" is as busy as ever as his 90th birthday approaches. But Louis le Brocquy is at pains to stress that he's still 89, as his birthday does not fall until November. With no sign of slowing down, his schedule is hectic, with many exhibitions in the coming months.
"I still get up and paint every morning, modified by the odd siesta," he said. "That's the trick, I think." A display of seven major works by le Brocquy, organised to mark his 90th year, was opened at the Irish Museum of Modern Art in Kilmainham, Dublin, last Tuesday. Le Brocquy's wife, artist Anne Madden, was by his side at the opening.
Their son, Pierre le Brocquy, selected the seven paintings, which span the period 1954 to 2002. "It was actually quite easy to choose them," Pierre said. "I was looking to illustrate the artist within. In this case, the theme throughout his career was the human condition."
Also present was Ali Hewson, and the many artists at the opening included Robert Ballagh and Maria Simonds-Gooding, both of whom had a painting in the Art of the Seventies exhibition, which was launched alongside le Brocquy's display last Tuesday. "Up until this year," Ballagh points at his 1974 painting, Two Men and a Lichtenstein, "this was hanging in a cigarette factory." He was referring to the museum's acquisition, last year, of 52 works from the PJ Carroll Collection, one of the formative collections in the development of the visual arts in Ireland in the past 50 years
Museum curator Marguerite O'Molloy is confident the le Brocquy "celebratory exhibition" will attract significant public attention, such is his profile.
Minister for Arts John O'Donoghue launched the exhibitions following a tour and declared himself "greatly impressed by the quality and range of the works on show".
Irish Art of the Seventies and Louis le Brocquy: A Celebration of the Artist's Ninetieth Year continue until December 10. Admission free
Vibrant Ireland on the Thames by Aengus Collins
It was a busy week for Irish art in London. Sotheby's and Christie's held their annual auctions of Irish painting, and there was a huge turnout for the opening of Other Visions, an exhibition of work by young Irish painters and photographers.
Other Visions opened this week at the Purdy Hicks Gallery, a stone's throw from Tate Modern. The pieces on show were selected by Irish Times art critic Aidan Dunne, who said that Irish art has become more outward-looking in recent years.
"Ireland has long been associated with its literary traditions, but in the last 50 years we've been waking up in terms of the visual arts," he said. "And the last 10 years have brought us work of great maturity and diversity, on a par with anything anywhere."
That diversity is reflected in the range of artists included in the show and Dunne was joined at the opening by almost all of those whose work is exhibited, including Sarah Durcan, Nick Miller, Ruth McHugh, Paul Nugent, Charles Tyrrell, John Noel Smyth and Eithne Jordan.
Also present was Claire Kerr, whose small, beautifully detailed paintings were a highlight. It's the first time her work has appeared in a curated group show and she was full of praise for the thematic link behind Dunne's selections.
"It's fantastic seeing my work in this context," she said. "I feel at home here."
Kerr's work will be showing in Dublin's Molesworth Gallery this autumn.
Purdy Hicks director Rebecca Hicks was thrilled with the turnout for the opening.
"I think Irish art is particularly vibrant at the moment," she said.
Other Visions is at Purdy Hicks, Bankside, London, until Sat, Jun 3. Details: www.purdyhicks.com or 0044-207-401-9229
Last hurrah at Foster Place
The only thing harder than knowing when to arrive at a party is sensing the right time to leave. But it was for good reason that patrons were dilly-dallying at the Bank of Ireland Arts Centre, Foster Place, Dublin, on Monday evening. The revered venue that has supported the arts in Dublin for almost a decade hosted its final book launch on the night and is due to close its doors forever on July 28th.
People came out to support the double launch, hosted by Poetry Ireland, of Crystal Clear: The Collected Prose of John Jordan, edited by Hugh McFadden and published by Lilliput Press, and The Selected Verse Plays of Austin Clarke, chosen and introduced by Mary Shine Thompson and published by Colin Smythe. Kind words flowed about both men but mumblings of disenchantment were also abroad. "People need to ask why it's closing. The poetry readings and recitals were still popular. This may be the last time we'll be here, it's sad," said Lily Shanley, former house manager at the Abbey Theatre. Her friends Frances Kelly and Chris Flynn agreed but said it was apt the last event involved the launch of two great pieces of work.
John Banville, too, was full of praise for both men. Although he didn't know Jordan, who died in 1988, Banville told those gathered that "his presence was everywhere". McFadden, who edited Jordan's book, expressed his happiness that the book had finally come into being. Thompson, who introduced and edited Clarke's book, thanked everyone for coming to mark what would have been the year of his 110th birthday.
Jim and Grace Jordan came to support their brother's memory along with Jim's sons James, John and Caroline.
Members of Austin Clarke's extended family present at the launch included his great-granddaughter, four-year-old Alessandra Clarke, and his granddaughter Caoimhe Clarke.
Clarke's son Dardis remembered the friendship and mutual admiration between his father and Jordan and suggested a Beckett-like revival was on the cards. "Clarke's time has come," he said, "he's been consistently underrated."
Booking the high notes
Why wear one hat when you can wear three? Born in the artists' colony of Bergen in the Netherlands, Judith Mok is an internationally acclaimed soprano. She has published three collections of poetry and two novels in Dutch. Living in Dublin for many years, her first novel written in English, Gael, was launched in Eason Hanna's on Dawson Street, Dublin, on Tuesday.
Mok's husband, poet and screenwriter Michael O'Loughlin, joined his wife, along with their daughter Sara.
"I feel like opening it and reading it now after that introduction," said Muriel Allison as she had her copy signed. Launching Mok's book, acclaimed writer Dermot Bolger was full of praise. "In Ireland we like to pigeonhole people. I knew Judith first as a remarkable singer and poet in the Dutch language," he said. "And now as a writer in English also. It's unusual to come across a remarkable prose writer in a language other than her own."
Philip Casey, Claire O'Connor, Mary O'Donnell and Anatoly Kudryavitsky, all novelists and poets, were interested to see how Mok's semi-autobiographical novel paints a picture of Ireland as seen by an outsider.
Gael tells the story of a young violinist from a Jewish background who moves to Ireland, and the difficulties she then encounters. "I'm expecting a lively read," said O'Donnell, whose book of new and selected poems is out next month published by New Island Books.
Composer Benjamin Dwyer played classical guitar at the launch, accompanied by Croatian opera singer Morana Plece. Robert Serry, the Dutch ambassador to Ireland, and Mina Tounsi, chargé d'affaires at the Moroccan embassy, felt the music really added to the evening.
"If the novel is anything like the woman," said cartoonist Tom Mathews, "I'm going to have a tremendous laugh."
Gael, by Judith Mok, is published by Telegram Books