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LIAM O’NEILL – TURNING THE SOD
This oil on canvas by Liam O’Neill is at Morgan O’Driscoll’s online sale of Irish art which runs until July 20. Turning the Sod is estimated at €10,000-€15,000. The auction offers 255 lots including work by Donald Teskey, John Behan, Dorothy Cross, William Crozier, George Campbell, Tim Goulding, Martin Finnin, Kaws, Louis le Brocquy, Arthur Maderson, Charles Tyrrell and John Shinnors. The catalogue is online.
One of Ireland’s most popular and visually striking arts events returns to Cork in June. Open to everyone and with free admission the international art and sculpture exhibition Art + Soul is at Castlemartyr Resort from June 1 – 28. More than 350 artworks will be on display including more than 100 life size sculptures.
Highlights this year include a rare presentation of sculptural works by Salvador Dali complemented by a selection of smaller works by the Spanish surrealist known for striking and bizarre images like the Unicorn, laden with sensual meaning. In his autobiography Dali paints his wife Gala riding a unicorn and writes: “Gala, mounted on the Unicorn of my Fate”.
This exhibition with large sculptural open air pieces in the beautiful surroundings of Castlemartyr Resort and paintings exhibited within the hotel drew 10,000 visitors last year. It is now in its fourth year.
Work by international artists like Andy Warhol, Banksy and Tracey Emin is shown alongside Irish contemporary artists and sculptors like renowned West Kerry artist Liam O’Neill who has latterly expanded his practice into sculpture.
Deeply rooted in Irish history and culture and renowned for paintings that capture the spirit and beauty of his native region the show offers new works in bronze by O’Neill. His collaboration with Bronzesmith Fine Art Foundry has led to the discovery of a distinctive new artistic voice, while remaining true to his own style as the art continues to evolve.
Irish sculpture is strongly represented. There is, for instance, a new body of work by Eamonn Ceannt that distils the human figure into expressive forms. Ian Pollock’s bronze sculptures explore themes of time, transformation and the human condition.
Further sculptural highlights include works by Sophie Ryder, known for her monumental,
myth-inspired figures, and Philip Jackson whose distinctive Venetian figures are inspired by
the traditions of Venice, bringing a sense of theatre, mystery and historical resonance.
The variety of artistic expression at Art + Soul with its wide spectrum of styles, disciplines and perspectives is enough to take the breath away. The exhibition is open daily from 11 am to 7 pm. Free guided tours at noon, 2 pm and 4 pm will offer a deeper insight into the artworks and the ideas behind them. This not to be missed show invites the viewer to experience and engage directly with contemporary art in an open and accessible way. The beautiful setting of an 18th century manor estate is an added bonus.
Peter Curling – Irish Weather. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
Punters who get lucky at Cheltenham this week could do worse that put their winnings into art. How about this painting by Peter Curling called Irish Weather which is based on a Point to Point? The oil on canvas comes up at de Veres sale of Irish art on March 24 with an estimate of €20,000-€30,000. The Final Furlong by Liam O’Neill has an estimate of €12,000-€18,000. These two paintings lead an auction of more than 200 lots. The catalogue is online.
Liam O’Neill – The Final Furlong. UPDATE: THIS MADE 16,500 AT HAMMER
Liam O’Neill (b.1954) – Turf Cutters. UPDATE: THIS MADE €16,000 AT HAMMER
Turf Cutters by Liam O’Neill is at Morgan O’Driscoll’s online Irish art auction which ends on February 23. Once a source of fuel for home heating and cooking that was widely used in Ireland turf cutting has been banned or restricted on specific bogs. It can no longer be sold commercially, though gifting or exchanging turf between neighbours is permitted. This oil on canvas, which dates to 1994, is estimated at €8,000-€10,000. The catalogue for the auction is online.
The exhibition of a treasure trove of Irish an international art which opens at Culloden Hotel and Spa outside Belfast on July 27 and runs until August 31 will resume at Sheen Falls in Co. Kerry from September 14 to October 12. In both locations the curated selection of sculpture and artworks by Gormleys will feature renowned international artists like Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst, Banksy, Julian Opie and Salvador Dali and Irish artists Ian Pollock, Eamonn Ceannt, Bob Quinn, Paddy Campbell, Sandra Bell, and John Fitzgerald. In Kerry the artist Liam O’Neill will debut a brand-new collection of sculptures.
Two Horses, an oil on canvas by Liam O’Neill made a hammer price of €35,000 over a top estimate of €7,000 at Whyte’s sale of Important Irish Art in Dublin tonight. Another work by the self taught artist Collecting Hay by the Coast, made €17,000 over a top estimate of €12,000. Liam O’Neill has developed a reputation as one of our finest portrayers of rural life, especially around West Kerry. He is a native of the Dingle Peninsula.
The top lot of the sale was Paul Henry’s Landscape, Connemara which made €135,000 at hammer. Old Houses, Pau by Dan O’Neill made €56,000, Docklands VII 2002 by Donald Teskey made €46,000, The Enthusiast by Jack B Yeats made €32,000 and Strange Days by Jim Fitzpatrick made €19,000.
Home to Cuas by the Dingle based artist Liam O’Neill made a hammer price of €14,000 at Morgan O’Driscoll’s off the wall art auction last week. It is a colourful treatment of three men in a currach returning from a fishing trip. Cuas is located near Brandon Creek, reputed to be the starting point for St. Brendan to set sail across the Atlantic in the 6th century.
