DUBLIN, IRELAND.- A display of seven major works by the distinguished Irish artist Louis le Brocquy, organised to mark his ninetieth year, opened to the public at the Irish Museum of Modern Art. Louis le Brocquy: A Celebration of the Artist’s Ninetieth Year presents a selection of seven emblematic works which were selected in collaboration with the artist. The works represent the artist’s Grey Period and also his Presence, Procession and Human Image series and together constitute an excellent distillation of his lifelong concerns and achievements as an artist. The display will be officially opened by the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Mr John O’Donoghue, TD, at 6.30pm on Tuesday 9 May.

The display includes Riverrun, Procession with Lilies III, 1985, and Children in a Wood I, 1988, considered by the artist to be the most important works in his Procession series. Also included are two paintings from the 1950s dealing with the isolated standing human figure. In Lazarus, 1954, from the artist’s Grey Period, le Brocquy uses strong geometric planes and lines to frame the figure of Lazarus emerging from the tomb, with head bowed and arms raised, while Standing Figure, 1959, from the Presence series has an ambiguous almost abstract quality where the upright figure is suggested in a more subdued and muted palette. The artist’s most recent human image series is represented here by two paintings, both titled Being, from 2002. Image of Self, 1994, is also included in this celebratory exhibition.

In addition, two works by le Brocquy are also being shown as part of the Irish Art of the Seventies exhibition, which also opens at IMMA on 10 May. They are James Joyce, Study 64, from the artist’s famous Head series, and The Hosting of the Táin, one of the most striking of his works from the Táin tapestries series. Indeed, the Museum is fortunate to possess a complete set of 20 Táin tapestries, acquired through a Section 1003 gift to the State in 2002 from the Dublin businessman Brian Timmons.

Louis le Brocquy’s work is represented in the collections of numerous museums in the USA, the UK, France, Switzerland, Italy, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Brazil, Japan, India, Korea, New Zealand and, of course, Ireland. Highlights of his career include representing Ireland at the Venice Biennale in 1956, and exhibitions at the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris (1976), the New York State Museum (1981), the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne (1988) and the Irish Museum of Modern Art (1996).

The Museum is also publishing an important text by the artist discussing his practice. The book will be the first in a new series of publications, giving artists in the Collection their own voice through interviews, artist’s statements and essays. This new series of books is being launched this year to mark the 15th anniversary of IMMA’s opening. Louis le Brocquy: A Celebration of the Artist’s Ninetieth Year is curated by Marguerite O’Molloy, Assistant Curator: Collections, IMMA.