July 3 – September 4 2004
Curator: Dawn Williams
Essay: Mic Moroney

His paintings represent a fusion of historic and contemporary artistic practices, uniting the Romantic aesthetic of Caspar David Friedrich, the political radicalism of Viennese Actionists and the technical
precision of the photorealists of the 1970’s. Although often based on photographs, or inspired by film stills, his paintings are built up in fine layers of traditional oil paint and represent a degree of
technical accomplishment rarely seen in European academies. He uses this technical accomplishment and finesse to carry across the strong political message contained in his art.

Peter Murray, Chief Curator

GOTTFRIED HELNWEIN
'Irish and Other Landscapes'
July 3 – September 4 2004
Continuing the Crawford Gallery’s theme of documenting the landscape, internationally renowned artist Goffried Helnwein will exhibit a number of large-scale (some are of seven metres in length), photo-realist canvases depicting landscape. Helnwein divides his time between Co. Tipperary and Los Angeles and his paintings draw upon the sublimity and drama of these contrasting environments as well as revealing the parallels of Irish and American terrains.

Perhaps more recognised as a painter of highly emotive portraits, this exhibition will reveal the influence of landscape throughout his career from the early Vienna cityscapes to the present series of Irish landscapes and recognises the impact in which the German romantic artist Caspar David Friedrich (1774-1840) has had on Helnwein’s work.

www.crawfordartgallery.com/Press

The Crawford Municipal Art Gallery is one of Cork's most important public buildings. The older part of the structure dates from 1724 and was the Custom House for Cork until 1818. Afterwards it housed the Royal Cork Institution and its art classes for two decades, before becoming a school of design in 1850.Through the generosity of Cork art patron William Horatio Crawford a magnificent extension was added in 1884 in a Renaissance style, which blended perfectly with the early 18th century original structure. The tower marks the join between the two buildings.

http://www.crawfordartgallery.com/