The College Art Collections has obtained 34 works between 2015 and 2016 through a combination of purchase and donation. The new acquisitions will join an impressive collection that includes art and sculpture by Patrick Scott, Jack B Yeats and Henry Moore.
In an email to The University Times, Catherine Giltrap, Curator of the College Art Collections, stated that when looking to add works to the the growing collection, she considers the “artist’s practice as a whole” before looking at more specific works of art or exhibitions and evaluating “how they would enhance and expand the parameters of the existing art collections and the pure aesthetics of the campus environment”.
The presence of art and sculpture in Trinity remains an important tool in connecting students across generations, campus and disciplines, explained Giltrap, speaking to The University Times.
In September 2016, using money from the collection’s Art Hire Scheme fund, the collection purchased four works from Pallas Project’s 20th anniversary fundraising art auction, which raised money for the popular gallery. The Art Hire Scheme takes place every year and allows staff, students and departments across campus to hire art from the contemporary collection, which was founded by Prof George Dawson in 1959. These acquisitions, which included works by Anita Groener, David Beattie and Brian Duggan, were available for hire in October as part of the scheme.
With the help of a newly formed committee, five works, including “Sugarloaf 12” by Gavin O’Curry, which is now in Provost Patrick Prendergast’s office, were purchased in 2015 and 2016 through the Provost’s Fund for Contemporary Art. This fund was inaugurated in 2014 with an aim to procure Irish contemporary art created in the last three to five years.
Dr Yvonne Scott, Associate Professor in the Department of History of Art and Architecture and Director of Triarc, the Trinity Irish Arts Research Centre, initially proposed O’Curry’s painting after observing his “use of landscape in contemporary visual arts practice”, according to Giltrap, which is in keeping with the purpose of the Provost’s Fund.
Scott serves as the chair of the committee, whose purpose is to choose contemporary art for the collections. Giltrap, as well as Scott, serve as permanent members, while other members will include staff, students and external representatives who will sit on the committee on a rotating basis.
The collections has also acquired several works through donation. Sixteen works were donated by John Hutchinson, the Director of the Douglas Hyde Gallery, including a set of eight lithographs by Scottish artist Ian Hamilton Finlay as well as Finbar Kelly’s “Bogworld”. Hutchinson was also instrumental in securing three Alec Soth exhibition prints, “2008_02zl0189”, “Laura” and “Mary”, which were on display in the Douglas Hyde Gallery earlier this year.
Ciaran Nicholson, who passed away earlier this year and previously worked in College’s library and volunteered with the collections while a student at Trinity, donated “The Red Ribbon II” by John Shinnors, currently on display in the Arts Block.
Since 2014, the Arts Block has regularly hosted exhibitions as part of the College Art Collections, with the current exhibition entitled Creativity is contagious, Pass It On, recognising the donations made to the collection throughout its history.
