Out of the rain, into the galleries

I had a clear timetable today, so got to explore some of the galleries in the city. Dublin's National gallery sits right next to the grounds of Trinity College and offers a free and broad range of works by Europeans, especially over the past four hundred years...and now I'm kicking myself because I'm going to highlight my ignorance by talking about a particular piece without knowing the name of the artist. Still, must mention it because it grabbed me so...it was a piece painted by an artist who strongly influenced the cubist movement in the early 20th century, a depiction of the crucifixion, and not particularly liked (as I observed) by a lot of the general public milling around the gallery. I, on the other hand, loved it. Maybe because it mentioned mathematical terminology like 'Translation and Rotation'. I am currently teaching secondary science to pupils at the Northicote school in Wolverhampton, so the cross-over if the arts and science always grabs my attention. I also started to think about the definition of the term 'translation' in both maths and literature. In maths it is simply moving a geometric shape from one place to another, without it altering. In the painting (as in literature) it was a little less clear than a direct translation...and so an internal debate commences, not just about semantics but also about subjectivity. The 'observer effect' is a term both known in science and in the arts and it simply states 'the act of observing something, changes the thing you're observing'. So if (in science) you measure the temperature of something with a thermometer, holding the thermometer will effect the temperature reading on the instrument, thus effecting the reading...in art it is a little more complex as we get into subjectivity, but as an artist it is reassuring that you can't please all the people all the time...so it's best just to please yourself!

The other gallery I visited struck me with a far greater resonance. It was the Hugh Lane gallery in Parnell Square, just around the corner from my hotel. (Just as an aside, there are digital boards around the city - one outside this particular gallery - depicting digital women in short skirts, walking, sauntering, and swaying their hips from side to side. I must admit when I first arrived and saw this outside the gallery, I thought maybe Script had put me up next to strip club...). Anyway! In the Hugh Lane gallery there is an exhibition of Francis Bacon's work, something I haven't come across before, and something I've very pleased to have discovered...if you've never come across this artist before I suggest you look him up. Born in Dublin to English parents his work is something born from the subconscious and very evocative...I'm not going to critique it, just have a look for yourself. Great stuff...