1st Year Postcard Swap

The First Years have produced these fantastic postcards for a postcard swap. They are ready to be posted off to Roscommon for a group of 1st Years to receive.

 Kerrie Moran, 1.1

 Dacia Smith, 1.1

 Kayleigh Myers, 1.1

 Aisling Kane, 1.6

 Orla Molloy, 1.6

 Rachel Connolly, 1.6

 Ana Gardiner, 1.4

 Meadhbh Honan, 1.4

 Precious Edosomwan, 1.4

 Caitlin Donnelly, 1.4

Civil Rights etc. Rita Donagh and Richard Hamilton

6th Year Students are taking a trip to Dublin next Tuesday to visit The Hugh Lane Gallery and the National Museum on Kildare St.


Here is some information about the temporary exhibition currently on at The Hugh Lane.

Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane is pleased to present this major retrospective exhibition by two of Britain’s most respected artists, Richard Hamilton and Rita Donagh. The exhibition includes works from the 1960s to this decade that primarily relate to Ireland, but also to seminal moments of social change in recent history. The two artists share a viewpoint of ‘political or moral motivation’ and a concern for human rights and justice, while also using images directly taken from popular culture and the mass media. The Hugh Lane has worked closely with the artists on this exhibition which explores both their shared concerns and divergent practices.
Richard Hamilton was a key member of the Independent Group and one of the leading artists during the emergence of Pop Art in Britain in the 1950s. Born in 1922, he studied at the Royal Academy Schools before and after the war and subsequently in the Slade School of Art. Hamilton’s work, addressing themes of consumerism, contemporary culture, politics and war, continues to be hugely influential and respected internationally. Civil Rights etc. concentrates on his iconic political works, including Kent State and Swingeing London, as well as the striking images from Northern Ireland during the Troubles. The exhibition also features the installation Treatment Room, a response to Margaret Thatcher 's reign as Prime Minister in Britain and his more recent protest pictures created in the context of the war in Iraq in the early 90s, as well as more recently the 00s and the current situation in the Middle East.

For more information visit the Hugh Lane website
http://www.hughlane.ie

You can read a review of the exhibition in the Irish Times here
Review

6th Year Charcoal Portraits

Photographs by Lee Jeffries

These Impressive black and white portraits full of emotion by Lee Jeffries provided the perfect subject matter for charcoal portraits. Lee Jeffries lives in Manchester in the United Kingdom. Close to the professional football circle, this artist starts to photograph sporting events. A chance meeting with a young homeless girl in the streets of London changes his artistic approach forever. Lee Jeffries recalls that, initially, he had stolen a photo from this young homeless girl huddled in a sleeping bag. The photographer knew that the young girl had noticed him but his first reaction was to leave. He says that something made him stay and go and discuss with the homeless girl. His perception about the homeless completely changes. They become the subject of his art. The models in his photographs are homeless people that he has met in Europe and in the United States: "Situations arose, and I made an effort to learn to get to know each of the subjects before asking their permission to do their portrait." From then onwards, his photographs portray his convictions and his compassion to the world.

 Aoife Sharkey

Each of the students chose a photograph to reproduce using charcoal. They created their portraits by blacking in their page with charcoal and then working back into the page using an erasing technique. They used putty to take the charcoal back off the page for the highlights and slowly the faces emerged from the darkness.
Here are the results

 Helen Campbell

 Christina Lynch

 Hannah Clayton

 Megan Clarke

 Stephanie Smith

2nd Yr Shoe Sculptures

The 2nd Yrs had to construct a shoe from cardboard and papier mâché based on the form of one of their own. High top runners were a popular choice, with stiletto heels and boots also among the mix. When the form of the shoe was constructed the decoration and finish of the shoe had to be inspired by the artwork of a famous artist.

'Flag Above White Collage', Jasper Johns, 1955

Shoe inspired by Jasper Johns, by Kate Cunningham

Detail of other side of shoe by Kate Cunningham

  'Interior and Aubergines', by Henri

Matisse, 1911-1912

   Shoe inspired by the patterns of Matisse, by Katie Carolan

BLAM, Roy Lichtenstein, 1962

Shoe inspired by the Pop Art of Roy Lichtenstein, by Aoife Garry

High top runner inspired by Roy Lichtenstein, by Megan Brodigan

Detail of back of shoe by Megan Brodigan

'The Kiss' by Gustav Klimt, 1907-09

Shoe inspired by Klimt, by Lauren Flynn

Robert Rauschenberg

Shoe inspired by Robert Rauschenberg, by Emma Cummins

Wassily Kandinsky

Shoe inspired by Wassily Kandinsky, by Chloe Byrne

5th Yr Woodcuts

The 5th Years recently completed woodcuts based on street scenes from around Drogheda. The prints had to be influenced by German Expressionist woodcuts and include some of their stylistic qualities. Expressionism is a term that describes art that uses distortions and exaggerations in shape and/or colour to express the artist’s emotion. The German Expressionists distorted images in quite a primitive manner. They exaggerated angles and carved crooked lines, giving an impression that they hacked away at the wood at a frenzied pace, adding to its intensity and expressive quality.

German Expressionist Woodcut

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
Elisabeth-Ufer (Berlin), 1912
Woodcut

The Process

  The students started by creating drawings from photographs of various streets in Drogheda. They worked over their drawing using markers to block in areas of tone using pattern and line to create their expressionistic design for the woodcut. Once they were happy with the design they transferred it on to the wood block using carbon paper and cut the design out using lino-cutting tools.

Clockwise from above left: photographic source,

drawing, woodcut design, final print

all by Clare Fagan

Design by Christina Lynch

        Finished Print                                                                                         Finished Print

Finished Prints by Josephine Byrne

Finished Prints by Aoife Sharkey

Junk Kouture Final

Congratulations to both entries from Greenhills who performed in the Junk Kouture Final on Sunday night. The atmosphere was electric in the function room of the Burlington Hotel, with over a thousand people attending on the night. There was a great sense of occasion with members of the media conducting interviews and photo shoots, and the judging panel consisting of the fashion elite. The standard was absolutely phenomenal and the girls did the school proud with their amazing creations. You can view performances on the night from both entries 'Gagaphone' and 'Alice and Wonderland' below.

  'Gagaphone'

'Alice in Wonderland'

The overall winning entry was 'Urban Armour' designed by  Emma Clancy of Presentation School, Clonmel.  See photographs of the winner and other entries here. Junk Kouture Final Photographs

Steve McCurry I Worlds of Colour

Gallery of Photography, Temple Bar, Dublin

Exhibition Opens: 11am Thursday, 17th February, 2011 until Sunday, 24th April

Steve McCurry's work focuses on the human condition and the documentation of cultures around the world. McCurry is driven by an innate curiosity and sense of wonder about the world.

He has an uncanny ability to cross boundaries of language and culture to capture stories of human experience. In addition to his personal work, McCurry has covered many international conflicts in Asia, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East."Most of my images are grounded in people. I look for the unguarded moment, the essential soul peeking out, experience etched on a person's face. I try to convey what it is like to be that person, a person caught in a broader landscape, that you could call the human condition."

Junk Kouture

Please vote for the two candidates from Greenhills that have reached the final of Junk Kouture. Both costumes, 'Gagaphone' and 'Alice and Wonderland' will be competing in the grand final in the Burlington hotel in Dublin on Sunday 17th of April at 7.30pm. Follow the link to vote online. http://www.junkkouture.com/ Tickets for the fashion show are available from the Junk Kouture website for those that are interested in attending  and showing support.

'Alice in Wonderland'

'Gagaphone'