Art

The best art exhibitions of the week

Scottish colourists, crises of our times and allegorical landscape paintings

Screenprint by Frea Buckler from the Graphic Studio Gallery Summer Show Robert Ryan, Guardian, 2019. Limerick City Gallery of Art

Aidan Dunne's face
Aidan Dunne
Sat Aug 17 2019 - 05:00

Scottish Colourists from the Fleming Collection
FE McWilliam Gallery and Studio, Newry Road, Banbridge, Co Down Until September 28th
An exhibition in Paris in 1924 consolidated the group of painters who became known as the Scottish colourists: SJ Peploe, JD Fergusson, Leslie Hunter and FCB Cadell. Appropriately, as they seemed to bypass England and relate to the School of Paris. The term was used more generally to apply to more artists than that core group, and they too are represented in this selection from one of the finest corporate collections of Scottish art there is.

You Are Seeing Things
Bárbara Wagner and Benjamin de Burca. Visual Centre for Contemporary Arts, Carlow Until September 8th
Currently representing Brazil at the Venice Biennale, Bárbara Wagner and Benjamin de Burca have been commissioned to work on a film project "exploring Ireland's trad and country music scenes", to be launched at Visual and Temple Bar Gallery next summer. This three-film showcase features a series of narrative shorts, blending documentary with fiction, each exploring the complexity of Brazilian popular culture. Music and dance are of course involved.

Asymmetrical Warfare
Conor Walton, Luan Gallery, Athlone, Co Westmeath. Until October 13th
Conor Walton aims to tackle big questions, "issues of truth, meaning and value" in paintings made in a mode of allegorical realism. In his recent work he addresses the specific "crises of our times", so he has plenty to deal with across the board, ecologically, politically and culturally.

Summer Show 2019
Graphic Studio Gallery, Cope Street, Temple Bar, Dublin Until August 31st
In its strong summer line-up, the Graphic Studio includes screenprints by Bristol-based artist Frea Buckler, whose work – highly chromatic geometric abstracts – has been warmly received in Ireland (she also makes sculpture and wall-paintings). It's summer show season, and other fine examples are on view at the Taylor, Kevin Kavanagh, Solomon and Kerlin galleries.

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Forgotten Existence
Robert Ryan. Limerick City Gallery of Art Until August 25th
The work of Limerick painter Robert Ryan is hard to classify. He uses landscapes as allegorical settings in a way that recalls the classical tradition. His isolated, fragile beings are symbolic presences in vast natural realms, infused with a sense of the mystery and magic of being in the world. Take the chance to see this welcome survey of his work before it concludes.