Colin Davidson, Portrait of Basil Blackshaw, 2012
It is with great sadness that we learn of the recent death of Basil Blackshaw (1932–2016), an artist who ploughed his own furrow; he was widely admired for his great talent, playful sense of humour and humility. These qualities made the Antrim-born artist disarming in person but his commitment to his work was never in doubt. Recognized as a brilliant draughtsman, Blackshaw continued to develop and surprise throughout his career. Blackshaw’s art graced the pages of the Irish Arts Review many times, his achievement was memorably described by Brian Fallon thus ‘With a career stretching back over roughly six decades, Basil Blackshaw could justly claim to have added an entire dimension, or at the very least an extra chapter, to Irish painting.’
We republish here from the archive, Far from the madding crowd by Brian Fallon (Irish Arts Review, Summer 2012) and Blackshaw’s World by Riann Coulter (Irish Arts Review, Winter 2008).
Irish Arts Review, Winter 2002
Irish Arts Review, Summer 2012
Basil Blackshaw, Dolly, 1989
The idea of creating a visitor centre in a working graveyard might seem lacking in taste, but a visit to Dublin’s famous Glasnevin Cemetery will dispel any such feeling.
Swedish-born artist Cecilia Danell is this year’s winner of the €5,000 Merrion Plinth Award.
Creating a woodturned form from uniform six-inch blocks of ash wood was the challenge set to Irish Woodturners Guild’s members