The Hugh Lane Gallery Visit

Of all the galleries I have visited, this was most definitely my favourite. Located in Dublin City centre, this gallery showcases many great exhibitions, as well as the Francis Bacon Studio, which was moved to the gallery from London and precisely rebuilt.

During my visit, the gallery played host to a Michael Kane exhibition. I had never seen his work before but was immediately taken in by his abstract prints. I found his pieces incredibly eye catching, and their expressive nature impressed me greatly.

My favourite part of the visit was observing the gallery’s Francis Bacon section, which contained a number of his pieces, as well as his rebuilt studio, which was viewable through a small glass enclosure. Francis Bacon is my favourite artist and so the opportunity to be immersed in his work and environment was something I will never forget.

Bradbury Gallery Visit

Bradbury is a place I regularly visit to buy art supplies, but I always drift over to the gallery section to observe the wide array of pieces they display. Much of the artwork on show is different to the art I typical observe, however I feel the different perspective I can get in the Bradbury Gallery is useful for widening my artistic taste.

While in the gallery I came across a number of pieces by Caroline Shotton. These pieces were cartoon-like, and appealed to me more than any other pieces in the gallery due to this unusual but distinctive style. Although all of her pieces are similar and work well together as a collection, their style allows them to hold their own individually.



Belfast Exposed Gallery Visit

Unlike the other galleries I visited, this gallery displays only contemporary photography. Therefore, the visit was a unique experience for me and one I feel I learned from greatly. Although I don’t have much experience with photography, it has always interested me. This interest has only deepened since my visit to Belfast Exposed.

While at the gallery, one piece that grabbed my attention was by Tereza Zelenkova. The piece was a black and white photograph of an ancient engraving of a face onto a rock. Her work captures the influence of man in nature, something which is obviously extremely prevalent in the world today.

The Mac Visit – International Exhibition

This was the second exhibition I saw at The Mac, the second edition of the Mac International, an open submission exhibition. This exhibition displayed art from artists all around the world, including art from the UK, Europe, America, Iceland and Brazil. There were number of different styles on display, including photography, film, installation, sculpture and painting.

My favourite piece in the exhibition was a collection called ‘TRANSITION(S)’ by Angel de la Rubia, a series of inkjet prints. These prints captured a variety of scenes  with faceless figures. I found it astonishing how much emotion could be captured using such simplicity.

The Mac is one of the few places in Belfast to showcase installation pieces and so I thoroughly enjoyed this experience.

Ulster Museum Art Zone Visit- Historical Section

Upon arriving at the Ulster Museum I came to realise that there were two different exhibitions, the first one containing historical art. The majority of the pieces I observed in this exhibition were portraits of a variety of historical figures. This pieces impressed me because they were incredibly realistic and vivid, really capturing the expression and emotions of the subject. A piece by Frederick Sandys, called ‘Cassandra’, was one I found particularly encapsulating. The painting captures the scream of Cassandra, the daughter of King Priam of Troy, as she sees the approaching funeral cortege of her brother. 

As far as I am aware, this exhibition is the only one, locally at least, that is displaying historical pieces, and so attending it allowed me to get a perspective on art that I ordinarily would not be able to.

The Eakin Gallery Visit

During my visit to The Eakin Gallery it became apparent that their focus seemed to be on displaying the art of local artists, with the likes of Terry Bradley and Paul Bell on show.

The most interesting room in the gallery, for me, was the room containing solely the work of Terry Bradley. His unique style was immediately  recognisable, the cartoonish expressive pieces grabbed my attention instantly. His paintings are modern and vibrant, and I think this is why I’m such a fan of his.

As you climb the stairs of the gallery the striking style of Paul Bell immediately jumps at you from the walls, in the form of his realistic cow paintings. Although not a huge fan of these pieces, they are impressive nonetheless.

Gormley’s Gallery Visit

This was one of a number of galleries I visited on the Lisburn Road and was probably my favourite. Its upstairs auction room contained pieces from a multitude of well known artists, such as Andy Warhol and Neil Shawcross. This impressive array of art is replicated downstairs in the gallery’s showroom, where a number of sculptures take centre stage. More pieces on the wall by Banksy, Damien Hirst and Andy Warhol add to the gallery’s prestige.

My favourite piece in the gallery was one of Jean-Michel Basquiat’s, a painting of an abstract form, showing a striking utilisation of colour. I found this piece especially appealing visually due to its unusual style.

Ulster Museum Art Zone Visit – Contemporary Section

The contemporary section of the Ulster Museum Art Zone was the second section I visited, after the historical section. I quickly noticed that much of the art on display was by local talent, including multiple artists who graduated from University of Ulster Belfast.

One of my favourite pieces in the exhibition was ‘This Fella’, an oil painting by Eleanor McCaughey. The defaced portrait showcases the artist’s ability to utilise a variety of colours in an expressive, abstract manner.

The many sculptures, from a range of artists including Vera Klute, Janet Mullarney and James MacKeever. ‘Drawing a Line’, created using a lightbox, paper mache, wire and wax thread, by Janet Mullarney, appealed to me because the use of the lightbox created a silhouette effect on the sculpture’s form.

Space CRAFT Gallery Visit

Upon entering Space CRAFT art gallery I learned from staff that the gallery both exhibits and sells art from local artists and designers. The gallery exhibits and sells art from both established artists and those who are emerging in the local art scene.

Whilst observing the variety of art styles on show, I was impressed by the ability of the artists to combine elements of both contemporary and traditional art. This was especially apparent in the work of Claire and Karen Gibson, twin sisters from who both graduated from University of Ulster with Masters degrees in Fine and Applied Art. I appreciated the simplicity of their porcelain Russian-Doll like forms, contrasted with the detailed image on the front.