Tuesday night was packed with a number of exhibition openings attended by Dublin's ubiquitous art set. On The Town raced around with its usual vigour but was assaulted by the same question at every turn: What about the Bruce Springsteen concert? But that was later.
First on the list was the Gate. Usually home to artists of the thespian kind, the theatre was given over to artist Susan Morley for an exhibition of her watercolours - the first time the new extension has been used to exhibit paintings. Morley has painted gardens in Enniskerry, Co Wicklow, and Italy - her Italian connections are well established as she travels there to paint with husband Paolo Tullio whenever she gets the chance, and her son is currently studying art in Florence.
The crowd gathered to toast her success included a number of the Gate's devoted retinue; Alan Stanford, who's directing An Ideal Husband, was, along with actors Jeananne Crowley and Jade Yourell, taking a break from rehearsals. Designer Lainey Keogh, a long-time friend of Morley's, spoke of the femininity and mysticism of her work. Other friends included producer Mary Finnegan, Susan's sister Diane De Burgh and Wendy Burke Kennedy, video editor from Printed Light Productions, U2's production company.
At Tosca restaurant in Suffolk Street, an entirely different set drank Sea Breezes in celebration of photographer Kevin Martin's first solo exhibition called The Inner City Space Programme. Martin is among a number of young, cutting-edge photographers currently working in London. He recently shot a cover for a compilation album by Big Dadda called Black Whole Styles, and hopes to travel to New York and Paris to work in the future.
Actor Peter O'Meara was there; he's soon off to Japan with the RSC for a production of King Lear with Nigel Hawthorne and expressed a hope that he gets on well with his co-actors, as the play is due to tour until February 2000. Frank Stanley and David Quirke, business partners of restaurateur Norman Hewson, were there, talking about their new venture - an organic cafe to be called Nude Food. When? Where? Watch this space!
Actor Alan Devine also popped in - he's currently filming Nora with Ewan McGregor. Among those who also breezed in were architect Simon Walker; Yetty Giwa, coowner of the It Girl's favourite shop, Absolute Hair in Portobello; musician Aongus O'Connor; Billy Forrester from Bubble Brothers champagne importers and Colm Browne from the Boru vodka company.
On Thursday, the Ashford Gallery run by Deirdre Carr at the RHA brought sunbleached shades and faded tones to pale and cloudy Dublin in the paintings of Anne Donnelly. Originally from Belfast, she has lived in Italy for the past 30 years and is fortunate enough to have her studio just beside Hadrian's Villa in Rome. Guests included the artist's husband Carlo Mazzantini and among those invited were Seamus Heaney; painter Camille Souter; artistic director of Opera Ireland Dieter Kaegi; and president of the RHA, Arthur Gibney. The exhibition continues until June 17th.
