Celebrating 50 Years of Modern and Contemporary Art at Trinity
- Holding Together, The Douglas Hyde Gallery, Trinity College. 24 Sep - 3 Nov 2010
- George Dawson: An Unbiased Eye. Celebrating 50 years of modern and contemporary art at Trinity, The Royal Hibernian Academy, Ely Place, Dublin. 19 Nov - 19 Dec 2010
- Commemorative 50th anniversary publication
‘Holding Together – An exhibition to celebrate 50 years of the Modern Art Collection of Trinity College Dublin’ at The Douglas Hyde Gallery (24th September – 3rd November)
The programme commences within the Trinity College campus, at the internationally renowned Douglas Hyde Gallery, where a special collaboration between the Gallery staff and the Curator of the College Art Collections, Catherine Giltrap, foregrounds Ireland and emerging contemporary artists working here today, set against a selection of works by influential 20th century modern artists active during the formative decades of the College’s modern art collection. George Dawson (1927-2004), former Professor of Genetics at Trinity College, was the initial driving force behind the College’s involvements with modern and contemporary art. With the help of a group of students he set up the campus picture hire scheme, which still exists today, and went on to found the first university art gallery in Ireland, simply called ‘The Exhibition Hall’, at the Berkeley Library (1967-77). By 1978, he influenced the founding of a permanent exhibition building in the form of The Douglas Hyde Gallery, meanwhile developing an extensive collection of Irish and international art for the College, prioritising the acquisition of Irish paintings in order to support and promote artists of the moment, in the moment. It is George’s pioneering efforts to encourage both established and emerging artists, with student-run ventures such as the Exposure exhibitions in the early 1980s when little support was available, that has inspired the initial concept of the current Douglas Hyde Gallery exhibition.
The title of the show, derived from Hexagram 8 of the I-Ching, the Chinese Book of Changes, is intended to highlight the importance of unity, complementarity, and collaboration, and with that aim it juxtaposes a selection of older work from the Modern Art Collection of Trinity College with recent pieces by emerging Irish artists. The interrelationship between the two is the heart of the matter, but there is also an underlying emphasis on landscape, nature, and the elements.
Works by the following artists are included in the exhibition: Æ, Cecil King, David Beattie, Paul McGonagle, Miriam De Búrca, Norah McGuinness, Patrick Collins, Sarah O’Brien, Aoife Desmond, Liam O’Callaghan, Laura Fitzgerald, Tony O’Malley, Judy Foley, Daniel O’Neill, Tracy Hanna, Nano Reid, Áine Ivers, Elaine Reynolds, Mainie Jellett, William Scott, Caoimhe Kilfeather, Jack B. Yeats.
The exhibition will run from 24th September – 3rd November 2010 (including special late night opening Friday 24th September until 10pm as part of the nationwide Culture Night programme)
Further information: www.douglashydegallery.com
‘George Dawson: An Unbiased Eye. Modern and Contemporary Art from Trinity College.’ The Royal Hibernian Academy (19th November – 19th December)
At the Royal Hibernian Academy in November, the scope of the anniversary celebrations are expanded to assess the Trinity College modern art collection for its Irish and international artistic content, within the context of major international artistic movements since the 1950s, and to discover the generations of people and personalities that have shaped the collection, inspired by George Dawson. Selected by Catherine Giltrap, Curator of the Trinity College Art Collections, the exhibition comprises over 35 works inviting the viewer on a journey through Cubism, Abstract Expressionism, and Minimalism, to Op, Pop, Conceptual, and Installation art, right up to the influence of digital technology on visual arts practice. Artists represented will include Nevill Johnson, Pablo Picasso, Henry Moore, Gerard Dillon, William Scott, Roy Lichtenstein, Camille Souter, Victor Vasarely, Louis Le Brocquy, Brian O’Doherty (Patrick Ireland), Ellsworth Kelly, Robert Ballagh, Richard Gorman, and Clare Langan. Woven through the selection is a narrative recounting how the modern art collection at Trinity College was formed, by whom, and why. Visitors to the exhibition will be encouraged to continue their experience by taking an interactive walking tour through the nearby Trinity College campus which serves as the University’s living exhibition space and features works by Arnaldo Pomodoro, Alexander Calder, Patrick Scott, Anne Madden, Barrie Cooke, and Michael Warren, among others.
Further information: www.royalhibernianacademy.ie
Commemorative publication
‘George Dawson: An Unbiased Eye. Modern and contemporary art at Trinity College Dublin since 1959.’ edited by Catherine Giltrap
Generously supported by the Trinity College Dublin Association and Trust, and by Mr. Joseph O'Gorman
Design by Vermillion. Published by Associated Editions. Click here to be purchase a copy online
Format: 280mm x 220 mm;
128pp;
Paperback with french flaps,
thread sewn
ISBN: 978-1-906429-15-7
Illustrations: 36 colour plates
and 4 generously illustrated essays
The publication is available to purchase from The Trinity College Dublin Library Shop, along with other gallery and mainstreet bookshops nationwide
To purchase a copy online please contact Associated Editions www.associatededitions.ie
This beautifully illustrated commemorative publication will accompany the RHA exhibition in November. The 128-page book recounts and contextualises Trinity College’s significant contribution to the development of modern and contemporary visual arts practice in Ireland, led by former Professor of Genetics, George Dawson (1927-2004). Internationally renowned sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro contributes to the introduction, followed by essays from Catherine Giltrap (Curator of the Trinity College Art Collections), Dr. Yvonne Scott (Director of TRIARC - The Trinity Irish Art Research Centre), and Dr. Angela Griffith (Expert in the history and development of Irish graphic art). The final chapter brings together for the first time, insightful and humorous stories by Trinity College graduates and staff, as well as artists, arts professionals, architects, and friends of George Dawson, recounting 50 years of modern and contemporary visual arts activities at Trinity. Proceeds from the book will support new acquisitions and conservation to perpetuate opportunities for generations of students, staff, and the visiting public to engage with the visual arts at Trinity College.