NATIONAL SELF-PORTRAIT COLLECTION OF IRELAND — vol. 2, 1989-1999

by William Gallagher; intro by John Logan

ISBN 978 0946846 337     396 pages (hardback)    24x22cm    313 illus   artists index

The National Self-Portrait Collection of Ireland was established by the University of Limerick in 1980. This volume features the work of those artists whose self-portraits became part of the Collection between 1989 and 1999. They range from exponents of the academic tradition to some of Ireland’s most avant-garde artists. Significant shifts in the practice of self-portraiture are reflected by the addition of conceptual works and works in an increasingly diverse range of media.

The profile of artists, too, has changed, with a much higher representation of women artists, and artists at an early or middle stage of their career. The National Self-Portrait Collection now offers a unique perspective on 19th- and 20th-century Irish art and artists.

This handsome book features 184 self-portraits by Irish artists, with individual texts on the artists and their works. It also includes an illustrated listing of the 123 self-portraits from volume 1, plus an artists index to volumes 1 and 2.

EXTRACT

"The function, especially, of self-portraiture has evolved since its emergence in the Renaissance, and earlier aspects of its role do not figure in this collection – for instance the self-image of the artist as bourgeois professional, portrayed amidst an extended, dependant family, or the likeness inserted as a ‘signature’ into a larger narrative composition. It is the post-Romantic self-portrait that predominates here, the artist alone. And while all portraiture was reconsidered with the advent of photography and later media, the emphasis remains here on the observational representation. Survey collections are necessarily partial, and this one is no exception. It is not intended as a balanced presentation of Irish art, and could not be: inevitably the realm of abstraction will be under-represented to the advantage of figuration. It is also unrealistic to extrapolate an artist’s wider output from a single, often wholly independent self-portrait, although some attempt has been made in the entries here to relate that image to their other work.
          Over the last decade the Collection has attracted contributions from the staunchest traditionalists and the most forward-looking artists. There are obvious strengths and weaknesses, alongside a quixotic inclusiveness that ranges from the international professional to the local amateur. In this much, the representation contrasts with the more stratified selection usual in major or national collections. It will take time to fill historical gaps, where acquisition is at the mercy of the examples as well as the funds available. As it stands, a major figure represented by a relatively minor work is Jack Yeats, who, however, produced almost no formal self-portraits, even if he made appearances in various guises in his works (as in the Renaissance tradition mentioned above). On the other hand, artists such as Leo Whelan and Patrick Hennessy are present in outstanding works that fully account for their reputation as painters. The same may be said of numerous living artists who have so generously contributed substantial works ... The National Self-Portrait Collection will continue to develop, not just in scale but in focus. In its early days there was an emphasis on traditional skill, along with the anticipation of a recognisable likeness. This has given way to a more liberal interpretation and recognition of the changes in art-making. A survey of the decade after 1999 will show the inclusion of more works in photography and digital media, and, for the first time, works in video. Besides this opening up of the boundaries of inclusion, the Collection will also, no doubt, be amplified and enriched by the work of artists immigrating to Ireland, who will bring other traditions or innovations to the representation of the self."

— from the introdution by William Gallagher