The West as metaphor, an exhibition based around West of Ireland landscape, runs at the RHA from the 11th of March to the 24th of April.
The West of Ireland landscape occupies a very special place in Irish art and the Royal Hibernian Academy have organised an exhibition around a diverse range of artistic interpretations of The West.
Since the nineteenth century, artists have travelled there to experience a notion of authenticity, both in the landscape and in the people who inhabit it. The idea of the west immediately evokes the classic landscapes of Paul Henry, Jack B. Yeats and Maurice MacGonigal.
The exhibition explores the many iconographies of the west of Ireland as represented by artists to this day. It reflects aspects of the history, politics, economics and society of the region and its place in the international image of Ireland.
From the romanticism of Patrick Collins and Clare Langan to the literal and metaphoric approach to bogs by Patrick Ireland, Robert Ballagh and Sean McSweeney. The topographies that make up the western seaboard of Ireland, from Tory Island to West Cork, offer artists rich opportunities for self-expression and cultural commentary.
A fascinating exploration of the west, The West as metaphors runs in Gallery 1 at the RHA from the 11th of March.
Opening Hours:
Tuesday to Saturday: 11am - 5pm
Thursday: 11am - 8pm
Sunday: 2pm - 5pm
Royal Hibernian Academy
15 Ely Place
Dublin 2.
Tel: +353 (0) 1 661 2558
Web: RHA
Images: (previous images) Robert Ballagh, The Bogman, 1977, oil on canvas, 200 x 122 cms, private collection, (this image) James Dixon, West End Village, Tory c.1959, oil on board, courtesy of The Glebe Gallery, Donegal.
