Look forward to a month of arty events, says Penny McCormick …
Sir John Lavery’s “Florida in Winter”, from the Ulster Museum Collection.
Serving up some much-needed sunshine is “Lavery. On Location” – the highlight of the National Gallery of Ireland’s autumn programme. Sir John Lavery never travelled for business or pleasure without his painting kit. “Carrying with him a box of materials, a selection of small canvas boards, and often a foldable easel, allowed him to paint on the spot, from the rooftops of Tangier and the coast of Brittany to the slopes of Swiss Alps,” explains exhibition curator Brendan Rooney. “The exhibition will take the audience from Lavery’s first visit to the picturesque village and artists’ colony of Grez-sur-Loing in France, in 1883, to Palm Springs, California, in 1937, when he was in his early 80s. It will introduce the public to a hugely significant part of the artist’s life and art with which they are perhaps less familiar. Lavery relied on his work as a portrait painter for his livelihood, his portraiture financing his informal work – landscapes, coastal views, scenes of everyday life and recreation – in remarkable places.” The exhibition is in the Beit Wing at the National Gallery of Ireland from October 7 to January 14. www.nationalgallery.ie.
Luke Casserly
What: “Distillation”, an exciting multidisciplinary “performance lecture” featuring text, perfume, video and sculpture, inspired by the cessation of the peat-harvesting industry in Ireland. Who: Created by Longford-based artist Luke Casserly. HOW: Luke began by collaborating with perfumer Joan Woods (of Waters + Wild Organic Perfumery) who collected and distilled botanicals from the Midlands bogs: each member of the audience receives a small sample of Woods’ custom-made perfume. The audience is seated around a large sculptural table made from sustainably sourced peat and is invited to hold organic materials (including soil and moss). Why: Luke believes that by immersing ourselves in landscapes, we understand them better. “Distillation” follows on from previous projects, including the creation of a network of Irish wildflower meadows across Ireland (“1000 Miniature Meadows”) in 2020. Where: Goethe-Institut Ireland, Dublin 2, from October 6-13.Tickets €18; www.stage.dublintheatrefestival.ie.
The aim of the recently established Irish Contemporary Art Gallery Association – CAGA – says Tara Murphy, owner of Solomon Fine Art, Dublin 2, is to highlight the strength and breadth of the visual arts in Ireland. CAGA’s inaugural Dublin Gallery Weekend, on November 10-12, could develop and grow into one of the highlights of the national and international cultural calendar, similar in scope to London and Berlin’s Gallery Weekends. “All ten CAGA member galleries will be presenting important exhibitions, accompanied by a social events, walking tours,and artist talks. There will also be panel discussions, chaired by former National Gallery of Ireland director Sean Rainbird, with private and public art collectors, who will share their insights on collecting.” At the Solomon Gallery, see a new exhibition by Cork-based sculptor Eilis O’Connell. www.caga.ie
‘Vis Motrix’ by Cocoon Dance
International avant garde dance troupes, new work by Irish dancers Liz Roche and John Scott, as well as an on screen performance of Carmen (starring Paul Mescal!) are all part of the Tipperary Dance International Festival, until October 15. Of note is the double bill of Vis Motrix by Cocoon Dance and Atlas da Bocca at The Source Art Centre on October 15; www.tipperarydance.com.
Ballet Ireland is presenting Carmen, choreographed by Morgann Runacre-Temple, at ten venues around the country from November 9 to December 8. Music for this production includes live flamenco guitar by John Walsh; www.balletireland.ie
Cork City Ballet celebrates its 30th anniversary, making it the longest-running professional ballet company in Ireland. See its production of Swan Lake (November 2-4 at Cork Opera House) directed by artistic director Alan Foley; www.corkcityballet.com.
Ballet fans can also watch ballet live from the Royal Opera House London in cinemas nationwide. For performance details of Don Quixote and The Nutcracker, visit www.roh.org.uk/cinema
“Winterage” by Diane Magee; www.dianemagee.com
Diane Magee’s exhibition at Upstairs@Walters in Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, is based on winterage, the ancient farming practice in the Burren, Co Clare. Magee’s wild, moody paintings perfectly capture the steady progress of the animals in this unique landscape.
“Discovery” by Ann Quinn; www.taylorgalleries.ie.
“Most of my paintings are set in winter – I prefer the raw mood and light of a season when the elements of nature are stripped bare,” says artist Ann Quinn, whose exhibition “Twilight Times” is at Taylor Galleries, Dublin 2, from October 6-28.
“Oystercatchers” by Mary McGrath; www.kilcockartgallery.ie.
Art conservator Mary McGrath’s first solo watercolour exhibition “Endangered” at Kilcock Art Gallery, Co Kildare, combines her two passions, art and nature, and includes paintings of 40 native Irish mammals, birds and insects. Passionate about biodiversity, Mary works in a studio on her smallholding, surrounded by a herd of rare Kerry bog ponies.
“Stack Overflow,” by Cian McLoughlin; www.graphicstudiodublin.com.
Cian McLoughlin’s exciting abstract and frantic crowd scene series will be part of the Visiting Artists Programme Exhibition, at Graphic Studio Gallery, Dublin 2, from October 14.
