ALMOST HALF a century after Andy Warhol signalled the birth of pop art with Campbell’s Soup cans, the tin can is still making shapes in the art world in the form of a 10m cathedral by artist Patrick O’Reilly.
The towering sculpture contains between 4,000 and 5,000 cans which were specially made by Bachelors.
The Kilkenny artist and sculptor picked tin cans as they are “such an iconic image”.
The sculpture is part of O'Reilly's exhibition of 28 pieces, ranging in price from €2,000 and €25,000. The title of the exhibition, Six Impossible things before Breakfast, comes from Alice in Wonderlandand reflects the fanciful element of the exhibition.
“Some of them are whimsical or childlike in many ways,” said O’Reilly (seen right, with his assistant Vini Cardoso), who is also behind the bronze teddy bears outside the 02. “Some art is political – mine isn’t . . . I don’t want to make life any harder – if I can make life a little bit happier in some way that’s the area I like to deal in.”
The exhibition opens tomorrow at the Oliver Sears Gallery, Molesworth Street, Dublin