Sir, - The Director of IMMA (Second Opinion, July 23rd) accuses those who criticise his policy of refusing continuous access to a significant selection from the museum's permanent collection (the majority made up of works by Irish artists). He talks about an "unhealthy undercurrent of denial". But he ignores the heart of the criticism.
Can he deny his unwillingness to give regular wall space to these important Irish pictures? A visit to the museum just now illustrates the point. The first floor of the West Wing is given over to the Sean Scully exhibition; the first floor of the East Wing to poorly mounted large photographs by Hannah Collins (four of the six rooms show only single works, leaving the other walls bare) and the ground floor of the East Wing is dedicated to projects by school children.
The only items from IMMA's permanent collection currently on show are installations and works described loosely as "sculpture from the IMMA collection." There is not a single painting from the permanent collections on view.
What about the 500 plus paintings in the O'Malley, Gordon Lambert, P. J. Carroll collections? When will the Director - so generous to single large installations and visiting exhibits - give regular wall space to a representative (and frequently rotated) selection of these treasures? Presumably, those who were generous enough to present their collections to IMMA assumed that the pictures would be readily available to the viewing public.
Asking for this parity of esteem for works by the founders of modern art in Ireland is not, despite the Director's specious argument, "sticking your head in the sand and wishing change away". It is simply asking IMMA to be comprehensive and inclusive in fulfilling its important role. - Yours, etc.,
Frankfort Park,
Dundrum,
Dublin 14.