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Sections Entertainment New exhibition at the Hunt has Smith ‘all guns blazing’
Sections Entertainment New exhibition at the Hunt has Smith ‘all guns blazing’ | New exhibition at the Hunt has Smith ‘all guns blazing’ |
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| Written by Alan Jacques | |
| Wednesday, 15 October 2008 | |
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BLAISE Smith- one of Ireland’s best realist painters – comes out guns blazing at the opening of his new exhibition ‘Weapons’, which run at the Hunt Museum from ‘October 10 to 23. Featuring paintings of guns, tanks and shells, the oil on canvas works were produced over a two year period, during which time Blaise spent one or two days per week based at Stephen’s Barracks, Kilkenny, painting the weapons, and on occasion portraits of the soldiers. Explaining where his fascination began, Blaise recalls, “Some years ago I was watching the TV news when an item about a Garda arms seizure was reported. As the camera panned the room full of weapons it paused briefly at the Formica tabletops to take a closer look at each piece of ordinance. As someone who spends a fair amount of time painting still-lives on tabletops I was very taken by these objects and resolved to paint them”. On foot of that experience, Blaise Smith wrote to Minister for Defence, Willie O’Dea TD, who graciously agreed to the request from the artist for permission to paint the weapons held in Stephen’s Barracks in Kilkenny. Smith painted his ‘Weapons’ collection between early 2006 and summer 2008. According to the artist, his fascination with weapons and the army grew during that time, as did his respect for the professionalism of the Irish Armed Forces. “I was amazed by the fact that the army is always ready. The guns are oiled and ready for use and so are the soldiers. When you go through the gates of the barracks you become conscious that you are entering a place that is just one step away from war”, says Blaise. To accompany this thought-provoking exhibition Blaise Smith has produced a fully illustrated catalogue that includes an essay on his experiences and conversations, while painting in Stephen’s Barracks. ‘Weapons’ runs at the Hunt Museum from October 10 to 23. |
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