Back in 2008 when I visited a sand sculpture exhibition at the Custom House Quay shopping centre I used a Sigma DP1 camera but the resulting images were close to unusable. A few days ago I decided to experiment to see if I could recover any of the photographs and here is the best that I could do.
Among the most widely read of all Irish writers, Swift is best known as the author of Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World (1726), now universally known as Gulliver’s Travels. His other works include A Tale of a Tub and The Battle of the Books and as a political pamphleteer, Swift is particularly known for A Proposal for the Universal Use of Irish Manufacture, The Drapier’s Letters and A Modest Proposal.
I am not happy with this series of six photographs but I decided to use them anyway as I hope to photograph all twelve sculptures over the weekend or, failing that, the following weekend on my return from Belfast.
I have always liked the “bears” [my young niece referred to them as the bears with attitude] but, in my opinion, the jockey ruins the image and the sculpture. There is little room for attitude with a man on your back … however, I will leave it to you to decide.
My understanding is that Patrick O’Reilly has designed twelve life-size works for an outdoor sculpture trail which has been installed at six locations in the heart of Dublin. Depending on your point of view the trail begins at Gormleys Fine Art, 27 South Frederick Street, and continues to Merrion Square Park, the Merrion Hotel, St Stephen’s Green, Grafton Street to end at Capel Street outside the Hanoi Hanoi Vietnamese restaurant.
Patrick O’Reilly (b. 1957 Kilkenny, Ireland) is a highly acclaimed Irish artist who studied at the Belfast school of Art. He has since achieved international fame for his innovative and dynamic visual works, having exhibited throughout Ireland & Internationally for over two decades.
His work is included in many international museums and important private collections & in 1996 he had a solo exhibition in the Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery in Dublin. His has also won many awards including the RHA sculpture prize.
O’Reilly’s works are not only philosophical expressions of thoughts and experiences but also reflect his feelings, emotions, and personality. Monumental large-scale public commissions have allowed his sculptures to become much loved parts of the local landscape particularly in Ireland, with prominent sculptures standing outside the 3 Arena, Adare Manor, Burlington Road & Sandycove, Dublin. However, his work can be found all over the world including, a Strolling Bear in Paris and a bear wearing a tutu in Cape Town (Castle of Goodhope, 2004).
It is funny how things work out. Today I went to a restaurant for lunch at 12:30 but I received a text message from the manager informing that, because of staff shortages, they could not open until 14:00.
As I had some time to spare I decided to visit Dublin Castle. I was aware that there had been an exhibition of sand sculptures in the upper courtyard but I had been advised that it had ended last Friday but much to my surprise I discovered that the sand sculptures were still intact.
Tomorrow I hope to visit the Botanic Gardens as the “Sculpture In Context” exhibition begins on Thursday but I hope to capture the artists in action as they install their sculpture.
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