Frank McGuinness reflects on the visual clues within Andrew Pike’s triptych portrait of art collector John McBratney
D oes every picture tell its story? So conventional wisdom decrees, but I doubt that, as I try to do with all conventions. There are times, frequent times indeed, a painting keeps its secrets, holding its cards close to whatever part of its anatomy it dares to reveal, always and ever eschewing prudishness. Part of art’s pleasure lies in trying to uncover and unravel what the vivid hues, the splendid geometry – those open squares of doors, the sweeping crescent of jug (a ceramic by John ffrench), the red triangle of lips – at the heart of Andrew Pike’s images of John McBratney mean to convey to us.
Brian McAvera wonders whether soulless consumerism is the message in Ian Cumberland’s dramatically installed artworks recently shown at Golden Thread Gallery in Belfast
Anita Groener’s strength lies in a total focus on her theme and her art, an art that draws in and challenges the viewer, writes Judith Hill
‘I’m trying to make the invisible visible’ Pat Harris tells Brian McAvera on the eve of his exhibition at the Taylor Galleries, Dublin