Michael Farrell (1940-2000)
Sandycove Series No. Two
Acrylic on canvas, 172 x 172cm diagonal (67¾'')

Born in Kells, Co. Meath, Michael Farrell studied graphic design in London at St. Martins...

Michael Farrell (1940-2000)
Sandycove Series No. Two
Acrylic on canvas, 172 x 172cm diagonal (67¾'')

Born in Kells, Co. Meath, Michael Farrell studied graphic design in London at St. Martins School of Art. Early in his career he painted backgrounds in Ardmore Studios, a television and film facility near Bray, alongside artist Robert Ballagh. Farrells graphic training is evident in his early work, and the striking motifs of this period recur throughout his career.

Visits to London, Paris and New York in the mid-1960s resulted in an innovative body of work, related to Celtic themes. His diverse range evolves from an objective, abstract formalism, exemplified in the Celtic and Pressé works, to a more subjective figurative expression evidenced in the Pressé Politique and Miss O'Murphy/Madonna Irlanda series. As an artist he was concerned with issues surrounding Irish identity, culture, history and politics.

Farrell became disillusioned with Ireland and moved to Paris in 1971, after a sensational public denouncement of Irish politics. He received a number of awards internationally, and was elected a member of Aosdána in 1987. His work is included in important collections both in Ireland and abroad, including the Irish Museum of Modern Art; Dublin City Gallery, the Hugh Lane Gallery; the Ulster Museum; the City Museum of Manchester Art Gallery, and the Pompidou Centre and Musée dArt Modern in Paris.

 

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