It was not as good or varied a year for art exhibitions as 1996 - which was outstanding - but 1997 was sound if rarely exciting. Perhaps we have become a little spoilt in that we can now virtually take for granted a level of activity - and not only in Dublin - which would have seemed Utopian even a decade ago. IMMA, generally regarded as the flagship of Irish art, kept up a succession of worthwhile events of which perhaps the two most noteworthy were the heavyweight exhibition In Pursuit of Painting, selected by Stephen McKenna, and the recently opened Warhol exhibition. The Kiki Smith show (still running there) was another prestige affair which attracted much interest, though personally I still feel that she is a good deal over-rated. There was also plenty of activity at the National Gallery, including the arrival of the Italian Baroque paintings from Sir Denis Mahon. Barbara Dawson's stepped-up activity in the Hugh Lane Gallery has become more and more noticeable, and perhaps her highlight was the recent Sean Scully exhibition of works on paper. This was not minor or second-best Scully - in fact, I rather prefer his subtle, understated pastels to his big, weighty oils. Maggi Hambling was also a good name to catch. The RHA Gallagher Gallery, though it remains slightly sporadic, also had a good season and it was an excellent initiative to recall the exhibition of Tony O'Malley's religious pictures (which previously had toured without coming to Dublin) and to hang it alongside examples of his recent work. Another clever initiative was to give over the annual Banquet Exhibition to a choice by various critics of their "ideal" academy. And, of course, the Douglas Hyde Gallery courageously continued on a policy which still seems to me rather esoteric, but generally well considered. As for the private Dublin galleries, there is no space to consider them here in any sort of detail.
Kilkenny Arts Week was, once again, adequate visually without generating any electricity; Eigse Carlow seems, at the moment, rather the more enterprising of the two, though it badly lacks a suitable exhibition space. The Galway Arts Week was rather low-toned, while Sligo maintained a good record over the year and the Linen Hall in Castlebar is also emerging as a worthwhile venue. Boyle Arts Festival was solid, as usual, but perhaps needs a change of format.
Meanwhile, the Crawford Gallery in Cork has been reconstructing itself for bigger and better things. The Butler Gallery in Kilkenny, though it had rather an unspectacular year, deserves special mention for the annual Victor Treacy Award Exhibition - an admirable initiative.
Highlight: no exhibition, in my memory, really dominates the rest. I select IMMA's The Pursuit of Painting as a courageous and unfashionable venture. The current Warhol show there, while welcome, does not show him at his absolute best.
Lowlight: somehow, I cannot recall any outstanding(?) one. The Glen Dimplex show was dull, but not actually disastrous.
London highlight: I am torn between two events at the Tate, the Lovis Corinth exhibition and the paintings of Ellsworth Kelly. Corinth, a giant of German turn-ofthe-century art, is neglected outside his homeland. Kelly, a marvel of clean-cut taste, energy and elegance, deserves to be the number one choice because living artists should, where possible, get first preference. London lowlight: Sensations at the Royal Academy. Seldom can so little talent have generated so much publicity, both hostile and favourable. It was dreary, tasteless and aggressively silly.
Wishlist 1998:
1) That the various public galleries in Dublin should co-ordinate their activities more, and so have reciprocal rather than competitive roles.
2) That public art in Ireland - especially sculpture - should improve.
2) That Irish artists should get more footholds and showings abroad.
2) That no more Irish towns launch arts festivals, at least for the moment. Otherwise, where can I retire to peacefully?
