Trinity College is home to over 120 student run societies, spanning in disciplines from Metaphysical Philosophy to Alternative Music. Within the chasm of popular interests lies a select few societies concerned with the cultivation of art and design. These societies … Continue reading A Freshers Guide to Art and Design at Trinity There’s no better time to join a new society than now
Each time I see an Abstract Expressionist painting sell at auction for millions, sometimes hundreds of millions, my heart sinks. Not solely because we live in a world where the ultra-wealthy can barter works by dead artists, which often sold … Continue reading It is Time for a Conceptual Art Renaissance
Originally published in print February 2021. If baking bread wasn’t (ed. note: isn’t) your thing during quarantine, chances are you considered taking up another unexpected trend of 2020: knitting. In recent years, Nordic countries have established a new visual direction … Continue reading A Beginner’s Guide to Knitting
“Museums are democratising, inclusive and polyphonic spaces for critical dialogue about the pasts and the futures. Acknowledging and addressing the conflicts and challenges of the present, they hold artefacts and specimens in trust for society, safeguard diverse memories for future … Continue reading What Makes a Museum? An inquiry into a new definition of ‘museum’ and what drives the backlash
Majid Adin is an Iranian animator and artist who now resides in the UK. Adin’s route to the UK was not an easy one. After fleeing Iran due to persecution for subversive writings and illustrations, he came to the UK … Continue reading Rocket Man: Iranian artist and animator Majid Adin Originally Published in Print April 2019
“Maser’s work is not unusual for Project; rather it exemplifies Project’s artistic programming through its 52 year history…. We believe all art is political, even work that reflects the status quo and is therefore misconstrued as being ‘neutral’. We … Continue reading Painting Over the Issues “If my art has nothing to do with people’s pain and sorrow, what is ‘art’ for?“ (Ai Weiwei)
It often feels hard to escape the onslaught of red love hearts and bright bouquets of roses that February brings. However, Valentine’s Day is as good an excuse as any to look at some ‘lovey-dovey’ paintings for want of a … Continue reading “In Bed, the Kiss”: An intimate and accurate portrait of love Despite the dominant role that the theme of love plays throughout the world of art, one rarely finds representations of a strong connection shared between two people that captures their feelings for one another in a down-to-earth and domestic setting.
In a world where everyone with a smartphone can be a photographer and anyone with Photoshop can twist images to suit their agenda, we’re becoming numb to the power of a photograph. Molly Crabapple believes that the power of art … Continue reading Artists on the Margins: Molly Crabapple Crabapple’s art style couples a dark playfulness with spidery sketchy lines and a saucy confrontational quality.
●●●●○ From an Irish perspective, William Crozier is mainly recognized for the vibrant landscapes he painted at his home in West Cork toward the end of his life. Bright pallets and large canvases are familiar to the public, as well … Continue reading William Crozier’s “The Edge of a Landscape” at IMMA The exhibition creates an incredibly moving experience by displaying Crozier’s work in reverse chronological order by decade, starting immediately with his well-known style and familiar settings featured in the last decade of his life.
It’s difficult to discuss what makes art valuable and whether that value is natural or artificial, because there is no broad consensus on what art is, or how we determine what is art and what is not. The physical value … Continue reading Art: Value and Worth But what is it that transforms a hundred euros of supplies into a hundred million euros of art?
●●●●○ Despite his status as creator of Ireland’s most beloved painting, Irish nineteenth-century watercolourist Frederic William Burton is often a forgotten figure. While The Meeting on the Turret Stairs has been widely acclaimed, his other works evoke significantly less recognition. The … Continue reading Frederic William Burton: For the Love of Art The National Gallery of Ireland’s latest major exhibition offers visitors an opportunity to discover the impressive career of this home-grown talent, alongside works of friends, contemporaries and masters.
●●●●○ If visited in a rush, Beyond the Three Perfections, running in the Coach House of Dublin Castle Gardens until December 8th, seems utterly conventional. Sponsored by the Office of Public Works, featuring President Higgins’ verses and aimed at celebrating … Continue reading Beyond the Three Perfections – review Linking poetry, calligraphy and painting.