Warhol, Banksy, Basquiat, Hirst, Koons, Bambi, Indiana and Haring are not names one would normally expect to find on the Dublin art scene. However, this month a selection of screen prints from some of the finest names in contemporary art will be on display in Gormley’s Fine Art, which is tucked away on South Frederick St. Works of this kind are rarely on view in Ireland, and even more unusually, they are available for purchase. According to the gallery’s website, the exhibition is said to be a starting point to incorporate both the artists from this display and more “blue chip artists” in general into the gallery’s regular programme.
The modest gallery provides an unexpected setting for artwork of this calibre, where 40 limited edition screen prints are hung between two floors. Pop art dominates the exhibition, and stepping in from the narrow grey street you are greeted by a burst of colour in a room full of pieces by Andy Warhol. Some of the images were unfamiliar but instantly recognisable from his style. His take on the “Birth of Venus” by Sandro Botticelli was particularly striking, her golden locks replaced with flowing neon pink hair. Some of his more recognisable works are also on show, including portraits of Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor and Mao in Warhol’s distinctive and vibrant style.
Moving through the gallery, the viewer is presented with a medley of works by various artists. Two large images of Mickey and Minnie Mouse stand out, primarily as a result of their enormous scale, but also because every square inch of their surface is covered in glitter. Opposite these hangs a print by Jean-Michel Basquiat entitled “Flexible”, which could not provide more of a contrast to its flashy neighbours. In fact, the picture is an outlier in the entire collection, which is composed of precise, brightly coloured prints. This, on the other hand, is a more painterly image that reflects the artist’s interest in West African culture. It is probably one of the most arresting pictures in the display, not only on account of its difference, but due to the highly stylised and distorted appearance of the figure.
Some more familiar faces appear as you make your way through the display including Rihanna, Madonna and Queen Victoria. The abundance of women on the walls, however, is not matched in volume by female artists, of whom there is only one: Bambi, an anonymous London-based graffiti artist. As the exhibition represents a “new departure” for the gallery, it is disappointing but sadly not entirely surprising that more women are not being represented, despite the fact that March is Women’s History Month.
Despite this lack of diversity, the exhibition does provide a rare glimpse of modern movements such as pop art and street art that are usually not available in Dublin. At just a stone’s throw away from Trinity, it is well worth a visit.
