Kerlin Gallery’s current exhibition, Japan, celebrates two decades of Richard Gorman’s acclaimed works, focusing on the circle motif …
Who or what kickstarted your love of art and abstract forms?
My time in Italy influenced me. Arriving there in the 1980s, I found myself living in the history of art, rather than reading it. As this developed, my own work was enriched by my surroundings and, more importantly, my friendships. Particularly in Milan, there is an interest and appreciation of abstract form, graphics and line.
I think it was Barnett Newman who said, “Aesthetics is for artists like ornithology is for the birds”.
Your new exhibition is a retrospective of the last 20 years and pays homage to your love of Japan: how did you discover Echizen and the use of washi paper?
My love of Japan began with my friend, Mika Sato, who first brought me there. Then a subsequent conversation with a photographer called Toshi Kasama brought me to Echizen. He had just been to the paper factory there and urged me to go with such intensity that it piqued my curiosity. Mika and I took an overnight train to the western mountains of Japan, where we found this small town almost entirely employed in the making of paper. The paper they produce is labour-intensive and, I think, unintentionally beautiful. The craftsmen begin very early in the morning, so coming in on the early train with them I’d be so tired I was afraid to sit down or I’d fall asleep! I had to push myself to keep going because I knew it was such a privilege to work in this way and learn more about making paper.
You worked in Milan for a time and are now in Dalkey. Can you tell us more about how and where you work?
I spent more than 40 years in Milan, but I’m back in Ireland now with a terrific studio made possible by the generosity of a friend, Robert Maharry, whom I met while studying at the School of Business in Trinity. I live and work in the same space, so I can paint every day. It’s important for artists to have some sort of security in this way, especially now that I have Parkinson’s. Dalkey is an interesting place and, to some extent, my environment determines what I make.
In the past you’ve collaborated with brands like Hermès, do you have any plans for new collaborations?
As a painter, most of my time is spent working on my own, but from time to time I’m involved in a different skill set like woodblock printing or I’m commissioned, which opens things up new possibilities. For example, I recently completed a commission for an outdoor sculpture in Bray, Co Wicklow. It involved materials new to me such as stainless steel, which was powder-coated in bright colours.
Where are some of your favourite places in Japan?
In the Izu Peninsula, you’ll find a small fishing village called Heda and Shirahama Beach, which is made with sand imported from Australia. In Kyoto, visit Funaoka Onsen, which dates to 1923 (be sure to read up on the etiquette first). Eat in the izakayas, the food is excellent and they’re not expensive.
I have a favourite poem about travel from the 14th-century, called Worlds:
“Travel. Wherever you go
the world you bring with you
is washed by the world you see”
Need to know: Richard Gorman’s “Japan” exhibition is on at Kerlin Gallery until February 22. There is walk through of the exhibition with gallery director, Darragh Hogan on February 22 at noon. @gorman_richard @kerlingallery
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