‘Mulcahy at 70’ – Artist Michael Mulcahy says ‘spreading pleasure and color’ fuels his creativity and drive

Kildare Road’s Taylor Galleries was a hive of exercise yesterday night for a non-public viewing of artist Michael Mulcahy’s newest exhibition, ‘Mulcahy at 70’, which was specifically organised for President Michael D Higgins.

ord of the occasion will need to have unfold among the many artwork neighborhood nevertheless, as not less than two dozen excited guests streamed in to marvel on the Cork born painter’s newest assortment.

Mulcahy, recognized affectionately as “Mick” to these closest to him, has been pals with President Higgins for a few years and illustrated two books of poetry which the President printed.

Considered one among Eire’s nice up to date artists, “Mick” Mulcahy’s newest 33 portray assortment consists of works which vary in measurement from 15cm X 15cm to an 8 X 12ft masterpiece. Whereas every portray beams together with his signature use of vibrant color, which Mulcahy embodied in a vivid purple swimsuit and yellow, paint spattered Croc sandals.

Mulcahy’s companion of 10 years Vera Whelan mentioned “he works day by day” and the painter defined what drives his seemingly inexhaustible work ethic.

“The celebration of life. It’s so simple as that and to unfold pleasure and color. So many individuals are caught in a secular actuality,” he mentioned.

“Anyone can paint. My father, for instance, he began portray when he was 80. I says daddy, ‘you like the ocean and the sky’. He mentioned, ‘what am I going to color?’. I mentioned, ‘you solely paint what you like’ and we’d go and sit in a ditch and see the sky and he’d paint it in his personal method and the pleasure he obtained from that and the pleasure of giving work to his pals.

“Anyone can paint. We’re not all going to be Picasso, however it’s your private contact. It’s nearly having the arrogance to go and do it.”

Mulcahy has travelled the world extensively, together with spending a 12 months in a Buddhist monastery in 1989, and these experiences affect his work to today in response to President Higgins.

“It has all of the technical achievement that he has plus a complete new non secular perception. There’s a lot in it when it comes to the life journey that Michael has been [on],” he mentioned.

“There’s an originality in it. There are all of the dangers taken in it. There are private dangers which might be out of the of the strange as an artist. The work will likely be among the many most remembered work, defining. A few of us will see an evocation of photographs from earlier work however what you have got is a first-class artist’s end in relation to line and transition between the photographs.”

An opportunity encounter with then Irish Ambassador to South Korea Richard Ryan led to Mulcahy spending a 12 months in a Buddhist monastery there, the place he studied beneath the Monk painter Suan Sunim.

Mr Ryan mentioned a number of the items in ‘Mulcahy at 70’ has “echoes” of his time in east Asia.

“He’s all the time on the lookout for non secular inspiration and I feel South Korea performed a big half in that,” he mentioned.

“I feel this exhibition is nearly a lazareth resurgence. It’s incredible, this exhibition brings a complete vitality to what are his central and private traits; a really sturdy use of colors that shouldn’t match however magically with him that work completely, shapes and constructions after which coming by way of is a deep spiritualism. You couldn’t say what faith it’s however they’re deeply non secular.

“All collectively, I feel these elements convey a fully magical imaginative and prescient of the painter again to us.”

Mr Mulcahy spends most of his time at his workshop close to Wexford city, which was inbuilt a transformed, 300-year-old barn.

That’s in response to his companion Vera who mentioned the encompassing countryside is a supply of infinite inspiration to them each.