Arthur Armstrong was the new kid on the block to the ‘Belfast Boys’ group of painters Gerard Dillon, George Campbell, Daniel O’Neill and Colin Middleton. In this, the centenary of Armstrong’s birth, Dickon Hall considers his life and work as ‘one of the most significant and innovative Northern Irish painters of the mid-20th century’. This year is also the centenary of the Friends of the National Collections of Ireland, a society set up to support national and public collections by purchasing, gifting or bequeathing art to them. Hilary Pyle tells its story and that of the driving force behind its formation, Sarah Purser. Alongside this, Logan Sisley details the important role Sarah Purser played in the formation of the Hugh Lane Gallery, where an exhibition of the artist’s work is being mounted. The winners of the RDS Visual Art Awards are on show at the Irish Museum of Modern Art, where Sarah Kelleher discovers that identity politics are a core concern in their work; playwright Seán O’Casey is the inspiration for painter Mick O’Dea’s latest exhibition, he tells John P O’Sullivan; and Kieran Cashell admires Pamela Dunne’s revealing sequence of self-portraits. Aidan Dunne interviews Ursula Burke ahead of her Irish touring exhibition; Isabella Evangelisti regards the ceramic sculptures of Lynsay-Erin Mercer, an award winner in last year’s Royal Ulster Academy Annual Exhibition; and Seamus O’Brien looks at watercolours by members of the Irish Society of Botanical Artists. Stanhope Alexander Forbes was a leading figure of the Newlyn School in Cornwall during the 1880s. Philip McEvansoneya unearths the lesser-known background to the artist’s time in Ireland; and Roger Stalley takes us to friaries of the West of Ireland to admire their impressive architectural legacy – ‘though much remains to be discovered about the masons who created them and the way the designs were conceived’.
Dickon Hall considers the work of Northern Irish artist Arthur Armstrong on the centenary of his birth
What is urgent for artists working in Ireland? Sarah Kelleher explores the RDS Visual Art Awards at the Irish Museum of Modern Art
John P O’Sullivan surveys Mick O’Dea’s paintings of characters from the playwright Seán O’Casey’s plays
There is a confidence about Mollie Douthit’s practice, which is slow and considered, writes Margarita Cappock
Artist Jack Hickey tells Cristín Leach that his influences range from Caravaggio to Nan Goldin
Lynsay-Erin Mercer’s careful and meticulous process mirrors the consideration and depth of her conceptualisation, writes Isabella Evangelisti
Pamela Dunne’s brooding chiaroscuro landscapes and self-portraits epitomise the sombre tonalities of the drypoint process, writes Kieran Cashell
Betty Conlon’s photographs of Dublin’s historic market reveal living histories, writes Stephanie McBride
Aidan Dunne discovers how artist Ursula Burke uses the Classical tradition to reveal problematic and troubled realities
Seamus O’Brien outlines the spring flowers of Irish native trees, detailing their locations in Ireland
Logan Sisley salutes an indomitable and towering figure in Irish art, Sarah Purser
Hilary Pyle explores the formation of the Friends of the National Collections of Ireland and the role played by its founding member, Sarah Purser
Roger Stalley elucidates architectural gems from the Middle Ages, the friaries of the West of Ireland, where many cloisters and carvings remain intact
Philip McEvansoneya traces Dublin-born Stanhope Alexander Forbes’ early years in Ireland
Terence Reeves-Smyth visits Ardgillan Castle in County Dublin, noted for its magnificent coastal views and fine gardens
Michael Waldron selects The Goddess Concordia (c. 1816) by Antonio Canova from the collection of the Crawford Art Gallery
