Garter Lane has an interesting exhibition running, in two galleries in O’Connell Street, of items from the Waterford Municipal Collection, despite its title, Curious And Untitled. At the moment, along with the Theatre Royal, people have a great chance to see a significant collection owned, in their name, by their city.
At the space at Delaney’s Florists, there was no external poster or indication of it even being open at 11.30am. In two rooms you will see the best and the worst of art. The late Tony Ryan said of art that you should at least know which way to hang it and some of these fail his test.
The abstract work comes off worst, although Colin Middleton’s Rain Motif, suggests an aspect now of the new Suir Bridge. Richard O’Neill’s Late Evening, with its ring of chairs, still impresses and fascinates me.
Seamus O’Colmain’s Old Buildings is the best of a lot of abstract building images. Look out for Eleanor Mary Darwin’s Two Nuns and the rugged beauty of Sean Keating’s Captain Considine.
Of the Sculpture, the modern image of Angel by Breda Lynch is as powerful as the dramatic Peace bronze of Edward Delaney.
At the Theatre Gallery, the work is seemingly dull, lifeless and grim with George Russell’s (A.E.) Untitled (Boy With Donkey) the only glimmer of curiosity.
Several of the frames in both spaces were in need of repair and cleaning as were some canvases. Some are darkening badly and will need remedial action.
Perhaps, now that the City Manager is promising to save the Opera Festival, he might consider selling off some of the Municipal Art to revitalize todays arts.
I had intended visiting the exhibition at La Boheme but at 12.30pm it wasn’t open.
The silent carousel at Red Square looks good and the Santa sitting in a passageway at Debenhams is special and he had a seasonal greeting for me too.
