Finishing ‘Allegory of Wisdom’ 2023
Some pictures take a long time to finish. This picture was first conceived over twenty years ago. My idea evolved through several smaller versions culminating in this canvas, which was started in 2014. I planned to include it in my San Francisco Exhibition, ‘The Enemies of Progress’, in 2015 but then discovered that, because of…
Siren
In mythology Sirens were female figures who lured sailors to their doom with their beautiful song. To some extent I see myself in this role as a painter, luring the viewer – not necessarily to his or her doom – with a visual ‘song’ as beautiful and heartfelt as I can make it. The pose…
Conversation with Joseph Bravo
This is a transcript of a Zoom conversation I had with American curator and art historian Joseph Bravo on September 5th 2020. We discussed the evolution of my work and the broader cultural scene. Joseph BravoLet me instead of making observations, first ask you some questions. For some time you’ve had an approach to narrative…
A Portrait Marathon at Green Acres, Wexford
In July 2022, as part of Wexford’s ‘Art in the Open’ painting festival, I painted 28 portraits over three days. The event took place at Green Acres Gallery in Wexford Town. The portraits were painted in oils and took roughly half an hour. It’s certainly hard work painting so many portraits in such a short…
Finishing a painting begun twenty years ago
While studying in Florence in my twenties my home was an attic room in a convent run by Irish nuns in Fiesole. It was called the convent of San Girolamo (or Saint Jerome), just up the hill from the Medici Villa. There were images of him everywhere. Jerome seemed to be one of the Renaissance…
Neoprimitive Narcissus
At the top of this painting, in the far distance, a rocket is launching into space. Two figures in the middle distance observe. Most of the picture is taken up with a naked figure ignoring this scene, crouched with his bum in the air, gazing at his own murky reflection in a pool of water.…
Asymmetrical Warfare
Madmen we are, but not quite on the pattern of those who are shut up in a madhouse. It does not concern any of them to discover what sort of madness afflicts his neighbour, or the previous occupants of his cell; but it matters very much to us. The human mind is less prone to…